Hello, and welcome to The Missing Peace. 00:00:34.60\00:00:36.93 My name is Jason Bradley. 00:00:36.97\00:00:38.77 Our primary host for this program 00:00:38.80\00:00:40.30 is Dr, Nadine Joseph Collins. 00:00:40.34\00:00:42.64 Dr. Nadine hails from the Island of Saint Lucia. 00:00:42.67\00:00:45.57 She is passionate about prayer 00:00:45.61\00:00:47.34 and has been empowering the prayer lives of people 00:00:47.38\00:00:50.31 around the world. 00:00:50.35\00:00:51.91 Dr. Nadine is an author, speaker, 00:00:51.95\00:00:54.42 and an affiliate of Sanare Life Ministries 00:00:54.45\00:00:56.58 where she works 00:00:56.62\00:00:57.95 alongside her husband Nyse Collins. 00:00:57.99\00:01:00.56 Dr. Nadine is going to make our prayer lives go, wow! 00:01:00.59\00:01:05.03 But before she does, 00:01:05.06\00:01:06.90 let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 00:01:06.93\00:01:09.36 Dear Heavenly Father, 00:01:09.40\00:01:10.73 we thank You for the opportunity 00:01:10.77\00:01:12.13 that we have to, 00:01:12.17\00:01:13.64 even be able to commune with You. 00:01:13.67\00:01:17.44 Ellen White says that, 00:01:17.47\00:01:18.97 "When we pray we are placing ourselves 00:01:19.01\00:01:22.11 in Your presence." 00:01:22.14\00:01:23.78 We ask that You would fill this place 00:01:23.81\00:01:25.61 with Your presence, today, 00:01:25.65\00:01:26.98 that You would lead, guide, and direct our conversation, 00:01:27.02\00:01:29.38 and that you would bless those that are at home watching it, 00:01:29.42\00:01:33.49 and bless us as well in Jesus' name we pray, amen. 00:01:33.52\00:01:37.29 So, Dr. Nadine, tell us what we're talking about today? 00:01:37.33\00:01:41.13 Yeah, I want to ask a question first though, like... 00:01:41.16\00:01:43.73 Have you ever had a role model? Yes, I have. 00:01:43.77\00:01:46.94 In what area? 00:01:46.97\00:01:49.17 The area of life, just general role model. 00:01:49.20\00:01:51.61 Life coach. Okay. 00:01:51.64\00:01:54.14 Like business, personal affairs, 00:01:54.18\00:01:58.85 you know, everything. 00:01:58.88\00:02:00.22 Okay, because you know 00:02:00.25\00:02:01.58 psychologists and sociologists are saying 00:02:01.62\00:02:03.42 that if we want to be good at something, 00:02:03.45\00:02:06.22 we need to have a role model, a somebody, 00:02:06.25\00:02:09.22 which is really somebody who's good at the thing 00:02:09.26\00:02:11.73 that we would like to be good at. 00:02:11.76\00:02:14.16 And so today, we're looking at our perfect prayer example. 00:02:14.20\00:02:18.93 And our perfect prayer example in the Bible is Jesus. 00:02:18.97\00:02:23.20 And so today we are going to examine Him, 00:02:23.24\00:02:26.27 His prayer life, 00:02:26.31\00:02:27.71 and how it can be instructive for us 00:02:27.74\00:02:30.35 in developing the habit of praying every day. 00:02:30.38\00:02:32.51 Do you believe 00:02:32.55\00:02:33.88 that Jesus actually had that habit? 00:02:33.92\00:02:35.25 Oh, absolutely. Yes. 00:02:35.28\00:02:36.75 Absolutely. 00:02:36.79\00:02:38.12 And so having role models, 00:02:38.15\00:02:39.49 you know, and in anything we want to be good at, 00:02:39.52\00:02:42.02 it seems to be a good idea. 00:02:42.06\00:02:43.53 I never really understood that when I was growing up. 00:02:43.56\00:02:46.76 I didn't really have role models early in life. 00:02:46.80\00:02:50.33 But I later saw the benefits of it. 00:02:50.37\00:02:52.10 When I saw my friends 00:02:52.13\00:02:53.47 who had role models in the areas 00:02:53.50\00:02:55.07 that they were interested in, 00:02:55.10\00:02:56.74 like, those who loved the singing, 00:02:56.77\00:02:58.71 they had role models, 00:02:58.74\00:03:00.08 you know, those persons who were good singers, 00:03:00.11\00:03:01.94 and I saw how it impacted what they were doing. 00:03:01.98\00:03:07.55 And so when we examine our own prayer lives, 00:03:07.58\00:03:09.62 I think, if we can get good role models, 00:03:09.65\00:03:11.45 and there are many in the Bible. 00:03:11.49\00:03:13.22 I chose Jesus as the perfect prayer example 00:03:13.25\00:03:16.02 because we will see throughout His life 00:03:16.06\00:03:18.83 the habit that He had of praying every day. 00:03:18.86\00:03:21.33 Not just every day, but He prayed about everything. 00:03:21.36\00:03:23.70 So I think He is that perfect example for us. 00:03:23.73\00:03:26.77 And one of the first things I noted about His prayer life 00:03:26.80\00:03:31.51 is that He did not do a lot of public praying. 00:03:31.54\00:03:35.71 Yes. 00:03:35.74\00:03:37.08 So they are only recorded about three times 00:03:37.11\00:03:39.21 when He did public praying actually in... 00:03:39.25\00:03:41.28 Three times? Three times. 00:03:41.32\00:03:44.25 The first one was at the Tomb of Lazarus. 00:03:44.29\00:03:46.92 So your remember there in John 11:41-42 00:03:46.96\00:03:50.59 where He had actually prayed that, 00:03:50.63\00:03:52.83 you know, the heavens would open 00:03:52.86\00:03:54.20 and He ask God, 00:03:54.23\00:03:55.56 you know, "Thank You, Father, for hearing Me, 00:03:55.60\00:03:57.30 you always hear Me, 00:03:57.33\00:03:58.93 but I say it out loud for the sake 00:03:58.97\00:04:00.64 of all these people standing here 00:04:00.67\00:04:02.80 so that they will believe You sent Me." 00:04:02.84\00:04:05.07 So that's one of the first recorded times 00:04:05.11\00:04:06.88 that He actually prayed in public. 00:04:06.91\00:04:08.74 There was another time when He prayed in public 00:04:08.78\00:04:10.61 when He predicted His death in Gethsemane. 00:04:10.65\00:04:13.45 And we find that story in John 12:27-28, 00:04:13.48\00:04:17.65 and there He was telling His father, 00:04:17.69\00:04:19.25 His soul was troubled and He said, "Should I pray." 00:04:19.29\00:04:21.29 And then He prayed, 00:04:21.32\00:04:22.66 "Father, save me from this hour? 00:04:22.69\00:04:24.83 But this is the very reason I came! 00:04:24.86\00:04:27.80 Father, bring glory to Your name. 00:04:27.83\00:04:29.96 Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, 00:04:30.00\00:04:31.63 'I have already brought glory to my name, 00:04:31.67\00:04:33.37 and I will do so again.'" 00:04:33.40\00:04:35.20 So this is the second time He prayed in public. 00:04:35.24\00:04:37.37 And then, of course, 00:04:37.41\00:04:38.74 we know, when He prayed at the Last Supper, 00:04:38.77\00:04:40.44 that was one of the food or the last, 00:04:40.48\00:04:42.91 it was the food but the last recorded time 00:04:42.94\00:04:44.88 when He actually prayed 00:04:44.91\00:04:46.38 when He looked up to heaven and He told the Father, 00:04:46.41\00:04:48.25 "The hour has come. 00:04:48.28\00:04:50.05 Glorify Your Son 00:04:50.09\00:04:51.45 so He can give glory back to You." 00:04:51.49\00:04:53.86 And that's in John 17:1. 00:04:53.89\00:04:57.03 So while there isn't a problem really 00:04:57.06\00:04:58.89 with public praying, 00:04:58.93\00:05:00.60 a larger part of our prayer lives 00:05:00.63\00:05:03.10 should be what happens in the closet. 00:05:03.13\00:05:05.43 That's one of the very first things 00:05:05.47\00:05:06.80 we can actually take away from the prayer life of Jesus. 00:05:06.84\00:05:09.70 And that really makes a lot of sense 00:05:09.74\00:05:11.31 because, I mean, when you think about it, 00:05:11.34\00:05:12.77 you can cry out to God, 00:05:12.81\00:05:14.91 you can open and pour out your heart to God, like, 00:05:14.94\00:05:17.71 you don't want to do that in public per se. 00:05:17.75\00:05:21.62 Our prayer should be not long winded in public 00:05:21.65\00:05:26.86 and making everybody depressed 00:05:26.89\00:05:28.79 with all of our burdens in public 00:05:28.82\00:05:32.03 but that's why we have that special private time. 00:05:32.06\00:05:35.60 And, you know, in Matthew 6:6 the Bible actually tells us, 00:05:35.63\00:05:39.83 "When you pray, go away by yourself, 00:05:39.87\00:05:43.27 shut the door behind you, 00:05:43.30\00:05:44.64 and pray to your Father in private." 00:05:44.67\00:05:47.31 And that was where in Matthew? Matthew 6:6. 00:05:47.34\00:05:50.61 It says, "Then your Father, 00:05:50.65\00:05:52.51 who sees everything will reward you." 00:05:52.55\00:05:55.18 So there we have some evidence or something to backup the idea 00:05:55.22\00:05:59.85 that the majority of our prayer 00:05:59.89\00:06:01.32 should actually be private prayers. 00:06:01.36\00:06:04.03 And so Jesus as our perfect prayer example 00:06:04.06\00:06:07.40 demonstrated by His record 00:06:07.43\00:06:09.86 where He prayed just three times, 00:06:09.90\00:06:11.30 let's say out of a 100, 00:06:11.33\00:06:12.67 a little over 97 % of the time 00:06:12.70\00:06:15.14 He was doing actually closet prayers 00:06:15.17\00:06:17.57 or private prayers. 00:06:17.61\00:06:18.94 Okay. 00:06:18.97\00:06:20.31 And since He hardly prayed in public, 00:06:20.34\00:06:22.01 we still see the effects of His private time 00:06:22.04\00:06:25.81 in His ministry 00:06:25.85\00:06:27.32 because they were able to see 00:06:27.35\00:06:28.68 how He was able to heal the sick, 00:06:28.72\00:06:30.45 have the blind to see, and so on. 00:06:30.49\00:06:33.05 So the impact of His private praying 00:06:33.09\00:06:35.39 was demonstrated in His public ministry, 00:06:35.42\00:06:38.56 so we can see that. 00:06:38.59\00:06:40.50 Another thing about the prayer life of Jesus, 00:06:40.53\00:06:43.10 as our perfect example, 00:06:43.13\00:06:45.47 is the fact that He made prayer personal. 00:06:45.50\00:06:49.14 So in the Old Testament a lot of times 00:06:49.17\00:06:51.57 when we see people praying to God, 00:06:51.61\00:06:53.74 He was referred in very formal ways. 00:06:53.78\00:06:56.81 And one of the formal ways was also Father, 00:06:56.85\00:07:00.02 but the Father was actually used 00:07:00.05\00:07:02.75 in specific instances 00:07:02.78\00:07:04.69 but in generally, you know, very formal ways. 00:07:04.72\00:07:08.26 Now so we're friends now so if you want to call me Nadz, 00:07:08.29\00:07:12.33 or Ann or Neds, 00:07:12.36\00:07:13.80 you know, people have different names 00:07:13.83\00:07:15.16 that they call you 00:07:15.20\00:07:16.53 when they knew you for a long time. 00:07:16.56\00:07:19.37 In the Old Testament we see demonstrated people 00:07:19.40\00:07:21.80 praying to God with respect where there is no problem 00:07:21.84\00:07:24.34 actually that's what we should do pray with respect, 00:07:24.37\00:07:26.37 but it was very formal. 00:07:26.41\00:07:27.94 So now, you know, we talk about having a father 00:07:27.98\00:07:30.85 and some people having a daddy. 00:07:30.88\00:07:32.75 And we know the connotation is a little different. 00:07:32.78\00:07:35.22 Anybody could be a father, but it takes a real kind of, 00:07:35.25\00:07:39.45 you know, nurturing person for us to say, 00:07:39.49\00:07:41.79 "Hey, Daddy." 00:07:41.82\00:07:43.16 Now what Jesus does in His prayer life 00:07:43.19\00:07:45.43 is revolutionized prayer. 00:07:45.46\00:07:47.70 Unpack that a little bit, 00:07:47.73\00:07:49.06 how did He revolutionize prayer? 00:07:49.10\00:07:50.80 You see, He revolutionized prayer 00:07:50.83\00:07:52.97 from the formal practice of addressing God 00:07:53.00\00:07:56.34 formally as Heavenly Father or as Creator 00:07:56.37\00:07:59.61 which was the custom in the Old Testament, 00:07:59.64\00:08:01.98 and what He did in the New Testament 00:08:02.01\00:08:04.18 is that He brought in a new concept 00:08:04.21\00:08:06.82 instead of just Heavenly Father or Creator, 00:08:06.85\00:08:09.65 He began to refer to His Father as Abba 00:08:09.68\00:08:13.29 and that is translated 00:08:13.32\00:08:14.79 to mean daddy, dad, or even papa. 00:08:14.82\00:08:18.79 So there He was making 00:08:18.83\00:08:20.16 prayer familiar or more familiar, 00:08:20.20\00:08:22.83 in a sense, than just that formal thing. 00:08:22.86\00:08:25.90 Some people even refer to that Abba sense as, 00:08:25.93\00:08:29.47 you know, childish blabbering, 00:08:29.50\00:08:30.84 you know, when kids are small 00:08:30.87\00:08:32.47 and they try to say mumma or pappa, 00:08:32.51\00:08:34.71 that kind of a thing. 00:08:34.74\00:08:36.28 So just imagine if that is how, 00:08:36.31\00:08:38.31 you know, if that's the context 00:08:38.35\00:08:40.42 with which it is really interpreted, 00:08:40.45\00:08:42.48 it means that, 00:08:42.52\00:08:43.85 "Hey, I'm really, you know, there with daddy. 00:08:43.89\00:08:45.85 I'm really dependent on daddy, papa," 00:08:45.89\00:08:47.72 you know, that kind of a thing 00:08:47.76\00:08:49.09 and that is what He did with prayer. 00:08:49.12\00:08:50.99 So He was actually the first person 00:08:51.03\00:08:53.50 to really demonstrate 00:08:53.53\00:08:55.23 what an intimate relationship with His Father looked like. 00:08:55.26\00:08:59.53 And that's what we did, you know, daddy, papa. 00:08:59.57\00:09:02.47 So because as we spoke about 00:09:02.50\00:09:04.07 that little difference between just a father and a daddy. 00:09:04.11\00:09:07.21 So He made it more personal, He made prayer something close, 00:09:07.24\00:09:10.91 something more intimate, 00:09:10.95\00:09:12.78 so He sets the example that prayer is something 00:09:12.81\00:09:15.82 that we need to make personal 00:09:15.85\00:09:17.79 just between us and Father or between us 00:09:17.82\00:09:20.72 and Daddy or between us and Papa, 00:09:20.76\00:09:22.89 you know, that kind of thing. 00:09:22.92\00:09:24.26 And throughout the Bible, 00:09:24.29\00:09:25.63 we see Jesus demonstrating that He had 00:09:25.66\00:09:28.70 that kind of relationship with Daddy, 00:09:28.73\00:09:30.43 that personal relationship, 00:09:30.47\00:09:32.20 that is why He had the habit of praying every day. 00:09:32.23\00:09:35.04 So He got up and prayed in the morning, in Mark 1:35, 00:09:35.07\00:09:40.34 the Bible says, "Very early in the morning, 00:09:40.38\00:09:42.21 while it was still dark, Jesus got up, 00:09:42.24\00:09:45.01 left the house and went off to a solitary place, 00:09:45.05\00:09:48.08 where He prayed." 00:09:48.12\00:09:49.82 So He had that habit of going to meet 00:09:49.85\00:09:52.85 with Papa early in the morning. 00:09:52.89\00:09:54.56 And Ellen White says, in Prayer, page 166 00:09:54.59\00:09:59.59 that we need to consecrate. 00:09:59.63\00:10:01.06 I'm sure we've heard that before 00:10:01.10\00:10:02.43 "Consecrate yourself in the morning, 00:10:02.46\00:10:04.90 make this your very first work. 00:10:04.93\00:10:07.17 Let your prayer be," 00:10:07.20\00:10:08.54 and she went into a prayer what our prayer should be. 00:10:08.57\00:10:11.41 And Jesus demonstrated that 00:10:11.44\00:10:13.27 this was His first work 00:10:13.31\00:10:15.44 every day to go out and meet His Dad. 00:10:15.48\00:10:18.88 He prayed in the evening time, and there are many texts 00:10:18.91\00:10:21.65 where we could actually read about Him 00:10:21.68\00:10:23.49 going off in the evenings. 00:10:23.52\00:10:25.19 Now usually evening time 00:10:25.22\00:10:27.06 is after a long day's work, right? 00:10:27.09\00:10:29.26 We usually, you know... 00:10:29.29\00:10:30.63 And, you know, He was also busy 00:10:30.66\00:10:31.99 so we go home after a long day's work. 00:10:32.03\00:10:34.36 Some of us will pray, we may try to relax, and stuff. 00:10:34.40\00:10:38.13 Jesus in the evening time after long day's work 00:10:38.17\00:10:42.14 would make it His business to also meet with Papa. 00:10:42.17\00:10:46.04 So let's say, for example, in Luke 6:12, 00:10:46.07\00:10:49.48 "He would gravitate towards solitude and delight 00:10:49.51\00:10:52.41 in be alone with His Father, 00:10:52.45\00:10:54.48 He willingly spends the whole night 00:10:54.52\00:10:56.45 in communion with God." 00:10:56.48\00:10:58.32 So not only did He just say a prayer 00:10:58.35\00:10:59.69 and then went to sleep. 00:10:59.72\00:11:01.06 "Now I lay me down to sleep. 00:11:01.09\00:11:02.42 I pray the Lord my soul to keep." 00:11:02.46\00:11:03.79 You know, that kind of a thing. Yeah, yeah. 00:11:03.83\00:11:05.16 He spends the entire night in prayer with His Father. 00:11:05.19\00:11:07.96 Another time in Matthew 14:23, 00:11:08.00\00:11:10.93 the Bible says, 00:11:10.97\00:11:12.30 "After He had dismissed them," 00:11:12.33\00:11:13.67 which were His disciples and all the people 00:11:13.70\00:11:15.37 who were listening to Him, 00:11:15.40\00:11:17.11 "He went to the mountainside by Himself to pray. 00:11:17.14\00:11:20.78 When evening came, He was there alone." 00:11:20.81\00:11:23.81 So we see there a habit, a trend, you know. 00:11:23.85\00:11:27.45 And I think another important thing 00:11:27.48\00:11:29.62 to note is the fact that He made it a priority, 00:11:29.65\00:11:33.52 you know, He set aside a special time for Him 00:11:33.56\00:11:37.73 and the Father 00:11:37.76\00:11:39.96 which is what we have to do on consecrating yourself 00:11:40.00\00:11:42.86 in the morning. 00:11:42.90\00:11:44.23 It makes sense to pray in the morning, 00:11:44.27\00:11:45.83 pray at night, pray throughout the day. 00:11:45.87\00:11:47.84 And, you know, we don't have 00:11:47.87\00:11:49.20 to just get on our knees and pray, 00:11:49.24\00:11:51.01 we could be driving in the car and talk to God. 00:11:51.04\00:11:53.61 We could be walking down the street and talk to God. 00:11:53.64\00:11:56.51 And the thing 00:11:56.54\00:11:58.61 that's so important about giving ourselves to God 00:11:58.65\00:12:00.85 in the morning 00:12:00.88\00:12:02.22 and talking to Him in the morning 00:12:02.25\00:12:03.59 is we need Him to order our steps, 00:12:03.62\00:12:05.59 we need Him to plan our day. 00:12:05.62\00:12:07.92 We shouldn't do anything without consulting 00:12:07.96\00:12:10.59 the one that sees the end from the beginning. 00:12:10.63\00:12:12.69 Exactly. 00:12:12.73\00:12:14.06 That's the thing about it, 00:12:14.10\00:12:15.43 you know, I realized from personal experience 00:12:15.46\00:12:17.63 that the days 00:12:17.67\00:12:19.00 when I rush off from praying are more difficult days 00:12:19.03\00:12:23.71 than when I actually spend time seeking God. 00:12:23.74\00:12:26.17 I had an experience last year when I was working on my book, 00:12:26.21\00:12:29.54 the first book I have in the prayer series, right? 00:12:29.58\00:12:31.95 I had a lot of things to do 00:12:31.98\00:12:34.68 and I had my to-do list from the evening before. 00:12:34.72\00:12:37.42 But that morning I woke up and I began to pray 00:12:37.45\00:12:40.36 and I began to share with God everything 00:12:40.39\00:12:42.59 that I had to do because I felt so overwhelmed. 00:12:42.62\00:12:45.39 And while I was there in His presence, 00:12:45.43\00:12:47.93 He began to reorder my priorities list. 00:12:47.96\00:12:51.00 He told me what to do instead. And I felt so good. 00:12:51.03\00:12:53.60 I stayed there taking in everything 00:12:53.64\00:12:56.17 that He was giving me. 00:12:56.20\00:12:57.71 And it felt so good, I really didn't want to leave 00:12:57.74\00:12:59.74 because I just felt that sort of relaxed like, 00:12:59.77\00:13:02.01 yes, I have a lot of things to do, 00:13:02.04\00:13:03.38 but because God 00:13:03.41\00:13:04.75 is now reordering it in my mind, 00:13:04.78\00:13:06.65 I began to feel so much more relaxed. 00:13:06.68\00:13:09.08 You felt peace. Yes, I had peace, right? 00:13:09.12\00:13:11.82 That's what I refer to as now. 00:13:11.85\00:13:13.19 It's like this state where, you know, hey, 00:13:13.22\00:13:15.02 everything is going to be okay, 00:13:15.06\00:13:17.09 don't worry about all that stuff. 00:13:17.13\00:13:19.09 Then when I got up from praying, 00:13:19.13\00:13:21.13 I run to the living room, 00:13:21.16\00:13:22.86 and I began to write things down 00:13:22.90\00:13:24.47 in the order that He gave me. 00:13:24.50\00:13:26.53 You will not believe that the day 00:13:26.57\00:13:28.67 that I thought was not enough, was too much. 00:13:28.70\00:13:32.57 'Cause I got everything done so quickly 00:13:32.61\00:13:34.98 and then I got to do frivolous 00:13:35.01\00:13:36.51 other things like doing my hair. 00:13:36.54\00:13:39.05 At first I thought I wouldn't have time 00:13:39.08\00:13:40.72 to even finish my list. 00:13:40.75\00:13:42.35 And so I realized 00:13:42.38\00:13:43.72 that sometimes we shortchange ourselves 00:13:43.75\00:13:46.05 by rushing off from prayer. 00:13:46.09\00:13:48.82 Because when we are there, 00:13:48.86\00:13:50.73 He orders our steps so much 00:13:50.76\00:13:52.76 that what seems to be so overwhelming 00:13:52.79\00:13:54.50 becomes nothing 00:13:54.53\00:13:55.86 because now He not only blesses you 00:13:55.90\00:13:58.20 for spending time with Him, 00:13:58.23\00:13:59.57 but He sends, you know, minister, 00:13:59.60\00:14:00.94 and angels to help you. 00:14:00.97\00:14:02.30 And Hebrews 1:14 promises that, 00:14:02.34\00:14:04.11 "I will send minister and angels to help those 00:14:04.14\00:14:06.24 who are heirs of my kingdom." 00:14:06.27\00:14:08.14 And that is what happens 00:14:08.18\00:14:09.51 when we in His presence so Jesus knew that. 00:14:09.54\00:14:13.98 And another thing that we need to take note 00:14:14.02\00:14:15.48 about His prayer life 00:14:15.52\00:14:17.12 is that He prayed about everything. 00:14:17.15\00:14:21.22 He prayed, for example, 00:14:21.26\00:14:22.59 before important events like his baptism. 00:14:22.62\00:14:25.29 So, remember, there in Luke 3:21-22. 00:14:25.33\00:14:28.26 The crowds were there 00:14:28.30\00:14:29.76 where Jesus was going to be baptized, 00:14:29.80\00:14:31.43 and then He began to pray, 00:14:31.47\00:14:32.80 and that's when the heavens opened up 00:14:32.83\00:14:34.90 and His Father blessed Him and said, 00:14:34.94\00:14:36.64 "You are my beloved Son," and so on. 00:14:36.67\00:14:39.04 So He prayed before His baptism. 00:14:39.07\00:14:40.48 He recognized the need to invite His Father 00:14:40.51\00:14:43.91 into that event in His life. 00:14:43.95\00:14:46.61 He prayed before choosing His friends. 00:14:46.65\00:14:49.68 That's an important part of it. 00:14:49.72\00:14:51.82 You remember, in Luke 6:12-13 where it says, 00:14:51.85\00:14:54.52 "One of these days 00:14:54.56\00:14:55.89 He went to the mountainside to pray, 00:14:55.92\00:14:58.23 and He spent the night there praying to God. 00:14:58.26\00:15:00.26 When the morning came, 00:15:00.30\00:15:01.63 He called His disciples and He chose 12 of them, 00:15:01.66\00:15:05.53 whom He designated apostles." 00:15:05.57\00:15:07.47 Because, remember, 00:15:07.50\00:15:08.84 He had a lot of people following Him 00:15:08.87\00:15:10.91 and a disciple is anybody who follows. 00:15:10.94\00:15:13.31 Even we sometimes as human beings have disciples. 00:15:13.34\00:15:16.71 Plato, Socrates, and these guys, 00:15:16.75\00:15:20.08 they all had disciples. 00:15:20.12\00:15:21.58 Anybody who follows what you're doing, 00:15:21.62\00:15:23.12 they are called a disciple. 00:15:23.15\00:15:24.65 So Jesus had hundreds of people following Him. 00:15:24.69\00:15:27.22 But after He had spent time with His Father, 00:15:27.26\00:15:29.52 in the morning, 00:15:29.56\00:15:30.89 He called everybody and He chose 12, 00:15:30.93\00:15:32.43 and made them apostles. 00:15:32.46\00:15:34.46 So this is an important aspect in our lives 00:15:34.50\00:15:36.20 because many times 00:15:36.23\00:15:37.57 we go about choosing people to be now in inner circles, 00:15:37.60\00:15:40.74 choosing people to be in our lives, 00:15:40.77\00:15:42.27 choosing people to be our spouses and so on, 00:15:42.30\00:15:44.81 and we do not consult with God first. 00:15:44.84\00:15:48.34 And that makes a lot of sense 00:15:48.38\00:15:49.71 because you'll have people that are poisonous, 00:15:49.74\00:15:53.88 you know, you'll have people... 00:15:53.92\00:15:55.35 Everybody exerts an influence over somebody else, 00:15:55.38\00:15:58.35 whether it's for good or for bad. 00:15:58.39\00:16:00.52 So it's very important to seek God, 00:16:00.56\00:16:03.53 and who you're surrounding yourself with. 00:16:03.56\00:16:05.66 Yes, it's important 00:16:05.69\00:16:07.03 because the thing is God knows the plans that He has for you. 00:16:07.06\00:16:10.53 And so the enemy to an extent is aware of some of the plans 00:16:10.57\00:16:15.44 that God has for us, that is why 00:16:15.47\00:16:17.41 He tries at different points in our lives. 00:16:17.44\00:16:19.34 Sometimes, even before we're born, 00:16:19.37\00:16:21.71 for Him to kind of intercept. 00:16:21.74\00:16:23.91 And so choosing people in our lives, 00:16:23.95\00:16:26.88 especially very close people, like His disciples, 00:16:26.92\00:16:29.72 the people who would be with Him every day. 00:16:29.75\00:16:31.69 And in our context choosing people, like, 00:16:31.72\00:16:33.79 say to be our spouse and so on is important 00:16:33.82\00:16:36.79 because Ellen White says 00:16:36.83\00:16:38.16 these types of decisions are heaven and hell decisions 00:16:38.19\00:16:41.63 because who we choose to be in our space, like, 00:16:41.66\00:16:43.43 you see could influence our character, 00:16:43.47\00:16:45.47 could influence our behavior, 00:16:45.50\00:16:47.07 could influence the direction of our lives 00:16:47.10\00:16:49.44 in terms of us being more committed to God 00:16:49.47\00:16:51.44 or us being less committed to God. 00:16:51.47\00:16:53.24 And He demonstrated, 00:16:53.27\00:16:54.61 "Hey, we need to spend time doing that." 00:16:54.64\00:16:57.45 He prayed before He ate. 00:16:57.48\00:17:00.15 And I remember in primary school and stuff, 00:17:00.18\00:17:02.58 I went to all Adventist schools so far, 00:17:02.62\00:17:04.72 and we would always pray that God would bless our meals. 00:17:04.75\00:17:08.62 We do, what we call grace before meals. 00:17:08.66\00:17:11.16 That's a concept that was developed from Jesus 00:17:11.19\00:17:13.56 because you remember 00:17:13.60\00:17:14.93 when He had to feed the multitude 00:17:14.96\00:17:17.13 with the five loaves and two fish, 00:17:17.17\00:17:19.30 He prayed and blessed it, that's how it was multiplied. 00:17:19.33\00:17:22.94 And even when we look at the Last Supper, 00:17:22.97\00:17:24.44 He also prayed as well, so He prayed before He eat. 00:17:24.47\00:17:27.14 And one thing I like about Him, which is comforting for me, 00:17:27.18\00:17:29.68 many times, is He prayed within His busy schedule. 00:17:29.71\00:17:33.82 Many of us are so busy 00:17:33.85\00:17:35.68 that we do not get time to spend with God. 00:17:35.72\00:17:38.72 You know, but Jesus had did that in Luke 5:15-16, 00:17:38.75\00:17:43.49 "The news about Him had spread so the crowds came, 00:17:43.53\00:17:46.76 people came by to hear Him 00:17:46.80\00:17:48.76 and to be healed of their sickness. 00:17:48.80\00:17:50.50 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." 00:17:50.53\00:17:54.60 So while the crowds were coming, 00:17:54.64\00:17:56.30 while people were running Him down 00:17:56.34\00:17:57.94 for healing, for blessings and for all of 00:17:57.97\00:18:01.24 what was going on around Him, 00:18:01.28\00:18:02.81 He still just moved out some time 00:18:02.84\00:18:04.51 so He can pray. 00:18:04.55\00:18:05.88 In Mark 6:31 and 33 it says, 00:18:05.91\00:18:09.18 "When they were coming," same thing, 00:18:09.22\00:18:10.55 "He went by Himself in a quiet place, 00:18:10.59\00:18:12.35 He went to get some rest. 00:18:12.39\00:18:13.99 But many who saw them leaving recognized them 00:18:14.02\00:18:16.79 and ran on foot." 00:18:16.83\00:18:18.16 That's going after disciples but after leaving them 00:18:18.19\00:18:21.03 He went to the mountainside to pray. 00:18:21.06\00:18:23.23 So even after that heavy day, that busy day, 00:18:23.26\00:18:26.70 and even during the busy day, 00:18:26.74\00:18:28.57 He withdrew because, I guess, He needed to be rejuvenated 00:18:28.60\00:18:31.27 and the only way our souls can be refreshed and renewed 00:18:31.31\00:18:35.24 is when we spend time in the presence of God. 00:18:35.28\00:18:38.75 And it's interesting too, like, 00:18:38.78\00:18:40.12 when you look at how much time Jesus spent in the prayer, 00:18:40.15\00:18:44.25 you know, and this is Jesus we're talking about. 00:18:44.29\00:18:46.32 He spent so much time in prayer, 00:18:46.35\00:18:49.22 He recognized His need for the Father, 00:18:49.26\00:18:51.53 how much more do we need to pray every single day. 00:18:51.56\00:18:55.53 Exactly. 00:18:55.56\00:18:56.90 And we need to recognize our need 00:18:56.93\00:18:58.43 for the Father but, 00:18:58.47\00:18:59.80 you know, some of us are in 00:18:59.83\00:19:01.60 that that Laodicean state, you know. 00:19:01.64\00:19:05.47 It's sad that we do not recognize 00:19:05.51\00:19:07.24 and that's why we need to look at Jesus 00:19:07.28\00:19:09.28 as our perfect prayer example. 00:19:09.31\00:19:11.08 Recognizing that if Jesus was part of the Godhead, 00:19:11.11\00:19:14.55 can see the need to spend all that time with His Father, 00:19:14.58\00:19:17.79 all the time with Papa, all that time with Abba. 00:19:17.82\00:19:20.56 If He needed that so much, we are much more in need of it. 00:19:20.59\00:19:24.26 Absolutely. 00:19:24.29\00:19:25.63 Another thing about His life is that He prayed with tears. 00:19:25.66\00:19:29.06 And I bring up that point 00:19:29.10\00:19:30.57 because sometimes we do not recognize 00:19:30.60\00:19:34.10 that even our tears are prayers. 00:19:34.14\00:19:37.41 So Jesus in Hebrews 5:7, the Bible says, 00:19:37.44\00:19:40.44 "While Jesus was here on earth, 00:19:40.48\00:19:41.94 He offered prayers and pleadings, 00:19:41.98\00:19:44.58 with a loud cry and tears, to the one 00:19:44.61\00:19:46.85 who could rescue Him from death. 00:19:46.88\00:19:48.88 And God heard His prayers 00:19:48.92\00:19:50.25 because of His deep reverence for God." 00:19:50.29\00:19:53.02 So He prayed with tears, 00:19:53.05\00:19:54.39 and I'm going to focus on that in a few minutes. 00:19:54.42\00:19:56.56 He also prayed about the same thing three times 00:19:56.59\00:19:59.09 which is something that's also important. 00:19:59.13\00:20:01.16 Many times we go to Him and because we believe, okay, 00:20:01.20\00:20:05.03 we ask one time, that's it. 00:20:05.07\00:20:06.87 I'm sure there were times when you were growing up, 00:20:06.90\00:20:08.27 you'd have ask your mom for stuff 00:20:08.30\00:20:09.67 that you'd have had to go repeatedly to ask, 00:20:09.70\00:20:11.31 it's not like she didn't hear you for first time. 00:20:11.34\00:20:12.77 Oh, yeah. 00:20:12.81\00:20:14.14 But it's like, we just want to remind Him, 00:20:14.18\00:20:16.01 "Hey, I'm asking, the same you'd ask your parent. 00:20:16.04\00:20:18.55 Mom, I'm asking for this. 00:20:18.58\00:20:19.91 Dad, I'm asking..." 00:20:19.95\00:20:21.28 So we would repeatedly ask for the same thing 00:20:21.32\00:20:23.79 not because it's a belief that, " 00:20:23.82\00:20:25.15 Hey, my parent is deaf or God is deaf," 00:20:25.19\00:20:27.39 but because we want to remind Him, 00:20:27.42\00:20:28.82 it keeps us in constant contact. 00:20:28.86\00:20:30.59 He also prayed for others 00:20:30.63\00:20:32.79 which is another important point. 00:20:32.83\00:20:34.16 You remember, Peter? 00:20:34.20\00:20:36.20 When they were at the Last Supper, 00:20:36.23\00:20:37.80 and everything was going on with Judas, and Jesus, 00:20:37.83\00:20:41.30 and all of the other disciples discussing 00:20:41.34\00:20:43.07 who was the one who would betray and so on. 00:20:43.10\00:20:44.81 Jesus was having 00:20:44.84\00:20:46.17 a little private conversation with Peter and He said to him, 00:20:46.21\00:20:48.58 "Simon, Simon, 00:20:48.61\00:20:49.94 you know, the enemy is trying to sift you as wheat. 00:20:49.98\00:20:51.35 But I have prayed for you." 00:20:51.38\00:20:53.28 And then He gave him, of course, an assignment. 00:20:53.31\00:20:56.15 So the thing is we could actually ask Jesus. 00:20:56.18\00:20:58.15 I love that, you know, 00:20:58.19\00:20:59.52 we could ask Jesus to pray for us. 00:20:59.55\00:21:02.62 That's like one of the most comforting things 00:21:02.66\00:21:05.06 from the Bible for me, 00:21:05.09\00:21:06.70 is that when I am too wounded to pray, 00:21:06.73\00:21:08.86 when I'm too tired to pray, 00:21:08.90\00:21:10.47 when you don't know what to pray about, 00:21:10.50\00:21:12.10 you can actually say, "Jesus, my big Brother," 00:21:12.13\00:21:14.57 you can claim that to Jesus, 00:21:14.60\00:21:15.94 "Say a prayer for me, 00:21:15.97\00:21:17.91 say a prayer for me just like You did for Peter, 00:21:17.94\00:21:20.28 say a prayer for me." 00:21:20.31\00:21:21.94 So many of us do not recognize that Jesus is that good friend 00:21:21.98\00:21:25.15 that He is that loving big brother, 00:21:25.18\00:21:27.32 and He wants to make it clear by His examples 00:21:27.35\00:21:29.62 that, hey, we should also invest time 00:21:29.65\00:21:32.09 in praying for others. 00:21:32.12\00:21:33.46 Just as He prayed for Peter, 00:21:33.49\00:21:34.82 and that's the blessing we mentioned earlier 00:21:34.86\00:21:36.62 about being able to intercede with others. 00:21:36.66\00:21:39.96 And whenever you feel 00:21:40.00\00:21:41.43 that you kind of pray for yourself, 00:21:41.46\00:21:43.10 we also need to remember that the Holy Spirit, 00:21:43.13\00:21:46.00 the Bible says will pray for us. 00:21:46.03\00:21:48.00 So not only does Big Brother Jesus 00:21:48.04\00:21:49.94 could pray for us like He prayed for Peter, 00:21:49.97\00:21:51.97 but the Bible says in Roman 8:26, that, 00:21:52.01\00:21:55.31 "The Holy Spirit helps in our weaknesses. 00:21:55.34\00:21:59.28 For example, we do not know what God wants us to pray for. 00:21:59.31\00:22:04.55 But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings 00:22:04.59\00:22:06.96 that cannot be expressed in words." 00:22:06.99\00:22:09.29 And sometimes, these groanings like 00:22:09.32\00:22:10.99 the groanings of Jesus are tears. 00:22:11.03\00:22:13.33 We are crying and I am saying to people sometimes, 00:22:13.36\00:22:15.60 "Hey, listen, even your tears are prayers 00:22:15.63\00:22:17.97 because the Holy Spirit translates your tears 00:22:18.00\00:22:21.24 into prayers 00:22:21.27\00:22:22.60 so the Father can still hear what you have to say." 00:22:22.64\00:22:26.51 So it is clear that Jesus 00:22:26.54\00:22:27.88 is our greatest prayer example, 00:22:27.91\00:22:30.18 He is our greatest role model 00:22:30.21\00:22:32.15 because He had the habit of praying every day 00:22:32.18\00:22:35.25 about everything. 00:22:35.28\00:22:36.99 And, you know, Jesus prayed with such faith and conviction. 00:22:37.02\00:22:42.62 He prayed and He knew 00:22:42.66\00:22:45.43 that His Father was going to answer, 00:22:45.46\00:22:47.20 He knew that His prayers were going to be answered. 00:22:47.23\00:22:51.23 Yeah, He knew that 00:22:51.27\00:22:52.90 because He would have been 00:22:52.93\00:22:54.27 spending so much time with Daddy, 00:22:54.30\00:22:55.64 that He knew 00:22:55.67\00:22:57.01 what Daddy wanted Him to pray for. 00:22:57.04\00:22:59.14 And that's why we sometimes shortchange ourselves, 00:22:59.17\00:23:01.44 we're not spending enough time with God in the first place. 00:23:01.48\00:23:04.28 So we could know 00:23:04.31\00:23:05.65 how He wants to lead us to pray. 00:23:05.68\00:23:07.75 Jesus did not overlook His need for His Father at all. 00:23:07.78\00:23:11.92 And many times we go through life thinking 00:23:11.95\00:23:13.59 that we can make decisions on our own without Him. 00:23:13.62\00:23:17.23 But Jesus knew for sure, 00:23:17.26\00:23:18.59 "Hey, I cannot do this, without Him. 00:23:18.63\00:23:20.73 I cannot go through this life, 00:23:20.76\00:23:23.06 this journey without my Father being there." 00:23:23.10\00:23:25.50 And that's why He prayed in the morning, 00:23:25.53\00:23:27.07 and He prayed in the evening, and He prayed about everything, 00:23:27.10\00:23:30.11 because there was no aspect of His life 00:23:30.14\00:23:33.01 that was not touched by His Father. 00:23:33.04\00:23:36.21 And even us now, we need God to touch 00:23:36.24\00:23:38.61 the different areas of our lives, 00:23:38.65\00:23:40.52 the different aspects of our lives, 00:23:40.55\00:23:42.15 and that's why He prayed so much. 00:23:42.18\00:23:44.49 And if He made prayer such a big part of His life, 00:23:44.52\00:23:46.96 I think we can really learn a lot from that. 00:23:46.99\00:23:49.62 It's really instructive for us to know that, 00:23:49.66\00:23:51.99 "Hey, if Jesus made His Father such a big part of His life, 00:23:52.03\00:23:56.53 what am I doing? 00:23:56.56\00:23:57.93 How can I go 00:23:57.97\00:23:59.30 about making decisions on my own?" 00:23:59.33\00:24:01.50 And so we need to take an example from that. 00:24:01.54\00:24:03.77 And some of the takeaway points 00:24:03.81\00:24:05.34 I would like us to get today is, 00:24:05.37\00:24:06.78 that we have that perfect prayer example in Jesus, 00:24:06.81\00:24:09.64 our role model. 00:24:09.68\00:24:11.11 We need to pattern our prayer lives 00:24:11.15\00:24:12.78 after His prayer life 00:24:12.81\00:24:14.48 and not just pray in the morning 00:24:14.52\00:24:16.35 and pray in the evening, 00:24:16.38\00:24:17.72 but make it a deliberate aspect of our life 00:24:17.75\00:24:20.39 to spend time with God 00:24:20.42\00:24:22.32 like He would take time during the day... 00:24:22.36\00:24:24.59 You know, from His busy schedule, 00:24:24.63\00:24:26.23 you know, when we have our lunch breaks, 00:24:26.26\00:24:27.70 our tea breaks, 00:24:27.73\00:24:29.06 we can just have some time with God 00:24:29.10\00:24:30.43 because we need that to help us to carry on throughout the day. 00:24:30.47\00:24:33.94 And we need to pray about everything. 00:24:33.97\00:24:35.90 Don't take anything for granted and believe 00:24:35.94\00:24:37.57 that I am in a position 00:24:37.61\00:24:38.94 to make this decision on my own. 00:24:38.97\00:24:40.88 Jesus clearly shows us that, 00:24:40.91\00:24:42.58 "Hey, we cannot make any decisions 00:24:42.61\00:24:45.11 without Father being involved, 00:24:45.15\00:24:46.68 without Daddy being involved, without Papa being involved." 00:24:46.72\00:24:50.09 So we need to make those deliberate efforts 00:24:50.12\00:24:52.25 to pull aside to spend time with Him. 00:24:52.29\00:24:55.82 I'm glad that you said that because, 00:24:55.86\00:24:58.39 you know, if we don't study God's Word, 00:24:58.43\00:25:00.96 if we don't spend time in prayer, 00:25:01.00\00:25:02.90 if we don't constantly carve out that time 00:25:02.93\00:25:06.03 and prioritize our time with God, 00:25:06.07\00:25:08.37 how are we going to do everything 00:25:08.40\00:25:10.14 to the glory of God? 00:25:10.17\00:25:11.81 We have to spend time in His Word, 00:25:11.84\00:25:14.38 and spend time in prayer, 00:25:14.41\00:25:15.74 and Jesus being our perfect example 00:25:15.78\00:25:18.75 in all things did all of that. 00:25:18.78\00:25:21.25 I mean, when you look at how Jesus faced temptation 00:25:21.28\00:25:25.25 when he was, when the devil 00:25:25.29\00:25:26.62 was attacking Him super hard, like, 00:25:26.65\00:25:30.56 the devil went after Christ harder 00:25:30.59\00:25:33.16 than anybody on this planet ever could. 00:25:33.19\00:25:37.10 And when He was being attacked, He was able to quote scripture, 00:25:37.13\00:25:42.50 He was able to quote the right things 00:25:42.54\00:25:45.67 that applied to that particular situation. 00:25:45.71\00:25:48.44 And one thing that the devil does, 00:25:48.48\00:25:50.15 one thing that the devil loves to do 00:25:50.18\00:25:52.45 is he'll take maybe 99.9% truth 00:25:52.48\00:25:56.48 and then he'll take 0.1% of a lie 00:25:56.52\00:25:59.82 and throw it in there. 00:25:59.85\00:26:01.19 So we have to be prayed up, 00:26:01.22\00:26:02.72 we have to dedicate time to the Lord, 00:26:02.76\00:26:06.80 so I'm glad that you mentioned that. 00:26:06.83\00:26:08.40 Yeah, that's really the case, 00:26:08.43\00:26:09.90 you know, because if Jesus made prayer 00:26:09.93\00:26:11.57 such a big part of His life, 00:26:11.60\00:26:13.77 I believe that we need to recognize 00:26:13.80\00:26:15.60 and we need to make it 00:26:15.64\00:26:16.97 so much more big part of our lives 00:26:17.01\00:26:19.07 because our prayer lives can greatly improve 00:26:19.11\00:26:22.54 if we practice the habit of praying every day 00:26:22.58\00:26:25.25 just like Jesus did. 00:26:25.28\00:26:27.12 Because Jesus knew that the only way 00:26:27.15\00:26:29.45 that He could secure the heir of His Father 00:26:29.48\00:26:31.62 just like you mentioned the only way 00:26:31.65\00:26:33.66 that Papa could hear Him, that Papa could really, 00:26:33.69\00:26:36.86 you know, work on His behalf 00:26:36.89\00:26:38.63 was if He was in constant contact 00:26:38.66\00:26:40.86 with His Father. 00:26:40.90\00:26:42.53 And so this is really 00:26:42.56\00:26:43.90 what we need to keep in mind as we focus on developing 00:26:43.93\00:26:46.63 that habit of praying every day. 00:26:46.67\00:26:49.40 So we could say a prayer. 00:26:49.44\00:26:50.77 And I think we could... 00:26:50.81\00:26:52.14 It's good for us 00:26:52.17\00:26:53.51 to probably address Him as Abba, Papa. 00:26:53.54\00:26:55.61 So we can say, Abba, 00:26:55.64\00:26:57.18 we thank You for Your example of our big brother Jesus, 00:26:57.21\00:27:00.02 we are grateful 00:27:00.05\00:27:01.38 that He was such a great example 00:27:01.42\00:27:03.99 to model to us 00:27:04.02\00:27:05.35 what our prayer life should be like. 00:27:05.39\00:27:07.36 We pray, Dear Father, 00:27:07.39\00:27:08.72 that we can hold the example of Jesus 00:27:08.76\00:27:10.86 dear to our hearts 00:27:10.89\00:27:12.23 so that our prayer lives can greatly improve. 00:27:12.26\00:27:14.73 Give us, Lord, the spirit of commitment 00:27:14.76\00:27:17.03 to carry on in this lovely example 00:27:17.07\00:27:19.07 we pray in the name of Jesus, amen. 00:27:19.10\00:27:21.50 Amen. 00:27:21.54\00:27:23.17 Thank you so much, Dr. Nadine, for that wonderful information 00:27:23.20\00:27:27.21 about our perfect example. 00:27:27.24\00:27:29.64 We pray that you have been blessed 00:27:29.68\00:27:31.75 by today's program. 00:27:31.78\00:27:33.42 You know, I want you to do something for me, 00:27:33.45\00:27:36.08 I want you to get a pen out and get a piece of paper 00:27:36.12\00:27:39.92 and write down how you are spending your time. 00:27:39.95\00:27:43.19 You know, as we've been examining Christ's life 00:27:43.22\00:27:46.49 and how He spent His time, 00:27:46.53\00:27:48.40 everything He did was dedicated to service. 00:27:48.43\00:27:52.07 He was always seeking to glorify the Father. 00:27:52.10\00:27:55.30 Make sure that you prioritize your time and make Christ, 00:27:55.34\00:28:00.08 The Missing Peace. 00:28:00.11\00:28:02.21