Jentezen Franklin: Powerful Prayers | Life Today

April 16, 2026 | 27:29

The pastor and author looks to biblical examples of prayer to help us understand the power of bringing every situation to God.

#Prayer #SeekGod #Faith #TrustGod #Worry #Anxiety #Fear #Believe #HandofGod #Protection #WalkwithGod #Communication #Wordswespeak #Heart'sDesire #Humble #Surrender #God'sWill #JamesRobison #BettyRobison #JentezenFranklin

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Life Today with James Robison | Jentezen Franklin: Powerful Prayers | Life Today | April 16, 2026

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Male announcer: the following program is sponsored by friends
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Of life outreach international and the friends
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And partners of tbn.
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Jentezen franklin: and some of you are so worried about your
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Children, you're so worried about your marriage, you're so
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Worried about your future, and you keep it all kind of canned
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Up, and it brings anxiety, it brings pressure, it brings a
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Spirit of fear, that's when you just pray those short prayers
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And release that anxiety and say, god, i trust you even when
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I don't understand a thing you're doing in my life.
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Announcer: jentezen franklin reminds us of the power
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Of short prayers, next.
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[music]
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Randy robison: welcome to "life today," i'm so glad to have
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You here.
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I am randy robinson, my co-host today is blynda lane.
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Glad to have you here as well.
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Blynda lane: really happy to be here.
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Randy: and i'm excited to have our guest back today,
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Jentezen franklin.
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If you missed the other program with jentezen, we would invite
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You to go to lifetoday.org for all of our programs.
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But stick around, this is going to bless you.
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Jentezen, welcome back, great to see you.
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Jentezen: thank you, it's so great to be back with you.
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Randy: this has had a big impact.
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Blynda: really big, on me, personally, personally on
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Me, yes.
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"the power of short prayers" is the book that you have just
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Newly released, and i got to read some of it, and truly, i
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Think for me what was so powerful is just the mind shift
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Of if you're carrying something heavy, and you don't really know
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What to say, how to say it, just say what's on your heart.
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Like, i love that freedom that god wants to just hear you from
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Your heart, and this kind of brings freedom to that idea that
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We can pray the prayer that's on the heart and believe that god
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Hears it.
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Jentezen: and it's not just an idea, it's a bible-based idea.
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It is james chapter 5 that says the effectual, fervent, the word
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Fervent is passionate, red hot.
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The effectual, fervent, passionate prayer of a righteous
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Man or woman avails much.
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He didn't say the long drawn-out religious, you know, repetitive,
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Saying the same thing over, he said pray a short prayer with
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The passion that you feel for that circumstance that you're
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Praying for.
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And it's not how long you pray, it's how quick you believe.
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I'm not against long prayer.
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I remember in my generation coming up and a guy named larry
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Lea changed my life with a book called "could you not tarry
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One hour?"
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So the standard was one hour, and i felt like a backslider as
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A preacher if i didn't pray one hour every day, and that was a
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Great thing, it established a pattern for me to pray through
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The lord's prayer one hour that i still do.
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It's just a regular thing for me.
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But you'll never pray long prayers if you don't start
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Praying short prayers, and you can pray short prayers on your
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Way to work, and we give, in the book, short prayers to pray.
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One of the greatest, most famous prayers is a man whose name was
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Given by his mother and father in the bible, jabez, and it
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Literally, if you look at it, it translates painmaker.
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I mean, that's a bad deal when your mother and father say this
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Child is gonna be nothing in life but a painmaker, but he
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Prayed a 30-word prayer, "oh, that you would bless me indeed,
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Enlarge my territory."
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That's bless me indeed, not normal, indeed, in
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The superlative.
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I don't wanna be average, i don't wanna be normal, i'm going
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To work today, bless me indeed.
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I invite your blessing, your favor, your provision, help me.
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There's something about just doing it.
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Bless me indeed, enlarge my territory.
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Bless me indeed is good success.
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I'm praying for greater success.
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Enlarge my territory.
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I'm praying for greater influence.
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Give me greater influence, give my company greater influence,
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Give my family greater influence so that i can shine the light of
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Jesus christ.
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So, greater success, greater influence, then he said, "and
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That your hand would be upon me."
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If the hand of the lord is on you that's the power of the
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Lord, greater power.
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And then he prayed, "and that you would keep me from evil,"
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That's greater protection.
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What a prayer outline.
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Make me, you know, lord, just-- well, we know bruce wilkinson
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Wrote the most magnificent book, and what did jab--
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He's only found a few verses in the whole bible, and jabez
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Prayed that simple 30-word prayer, and the bible concludes
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That story by saying, "and god granted him his request,"
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Because he said, "i don't want to be a grief, i don't want to
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Be a painmaker, i don't want to be locked into a life that comes
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From dysfunction because my parents said that's all i would
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Ever be."
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And god broke him out of every limitation.
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There's power in short prayers that i believe is a secret to
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The kingdom of god, and if people will start talking to god
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About how you feel, he will move in your life in
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Unprecedented ways.
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Randy: i think i'm harder on myself in this area than god is,
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But--for example, if i went to my wife, and i only talked to
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Her using certain language and certain things to make sure i
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Got what i wanted from her, we wouldn't call that a
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Relationship, we call it manipulation, right?
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And so with prayer, i think there's a freedom when we do
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What jesus did in the garden of gethsemane and said, "not my
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Will but yours," because if properly understood, i think
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That allows us to pray for things that are on our heart,
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Our desires, and sometimes they are give me more, you know?
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Let me do bigger things, bless this area.
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Do we need to humble ourselves at the end of our big prayers
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And say but not my will but yours and learn to live
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With that?
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Jentezen: one hundred percent, but i do believe that the gospel
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Is a gospel that calls us, even through our suffering, even
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Through our setbacks, even it's not--it doesn't mean you won't
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Go through losses and go through--but ultimately we will
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See the goodness of the lord in the land of the living.
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The things that i've gone through with my life and
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Ministry and family, they were not all beautiful, wonderful
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Things, but i kept praying through them, i kept talking to
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God through them, i kept conversation going between me
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And god.
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It's what job did.
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Some of the--you start reading the book of job, and he's
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Praying his feelings.
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I don't feel you.
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I go forward, you're not there.
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I love the honesty of that.
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I love just talking to god, just like what you said, like you
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Talk to your wife about any and everything.
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God says come talk to me, quit talking to other people always
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And going here and going there.
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Come talk to me.
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You can be honest with me.
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And some of you are so worried about your children, you're so
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Worried about your marriage, you're so worried about your
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Future, and you keep it all kind of canned up, and it brings
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Anxiety, it brings pressure, it brings a spirit of fear, but
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When you get--and what i've learned is if i start praying
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These short prayers, and every one of them are based out of a
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Story that is a balanced story.
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I love what you're saying.
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Yes, of course, pray the will of god only.
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I've learned to thank him for the open doors, but i've
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Learned, that same verse says, "and he shuts doors no man
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Can open."
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And i tell you, i thank god for the times that, you know,
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Somebody said, well, you know, it's wonderful when god opens
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The door, and when he shuts the door, he'll always open another
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Door, but it's hell in the hallway.
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And when you're in that hellful hallway, that's when you just
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Pray those short prayers and release that anxiety and say,
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God, i trust you even when i don't understand a thing you're
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Doing in my life.
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I don't understand this doctor's report.
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I don't understand it, but i'm gonna do like hezekiah did.
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He got a bad report in a letter from a sennacherib that said i'm
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Going to destroy you.
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And he said wrong address, and he took that letter and took it
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To the temple and laid it on the altar.
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Some of you've got a letter, some of you got an email, a
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Doctor's report, a x-ray, and he said wrong address.
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I'm taking it to the house of the lord, and i'm putting it on
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The altar, and god, i can't do this, but you're god, and
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You can.
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Randy: okay, i'm glad--i gotta jump in here, because i'm so
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Glad you brought that up.
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There is a principle that i have always applied to finances when
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I look at scripture, and it's not about ownership, wealth, you
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Know, it's about stewardship, and, you know, growing up in the
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Wealthiest country in the world but yet spending time in some of
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The poorest countries in the world, you go, okay, significant
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Wealth imbalance here.
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What's the common truth?
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And it's stewardship.
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What are you doing with what god has entrusted with you, whether
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It's monetarily big or small?
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Here's what you do in that chapter with hezekiah.
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You say our difficulties--we're talking about the things we want
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To be delivered from.
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You're saying it's not about not having problems, not having
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Cases where we need deliverance where we have to cry to god,
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It's about the stewardship.
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What do you do with it?
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And when you say not my address, god, it's your address, you're
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Saying that stuff's gonna come your way, the real response that
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God wants us to have is a stewardship response to say,
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God, i'm bringing this problem to you.
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Jentezen: yes.
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Randy: that's huge.
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Jentezen: yeah, and i don't care how bad the situation is.
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I believe that as long as a person is alive, it's okay to
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Pray for healing.
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It's okay to ask god for miracles, and if he doesn't--
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And i love the story of shadrach, meshach, and abednego,
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They said our god is able, but if not, he's still god.
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It's not gonna change our faith, he's sovereign, he's working.
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We think here, now, he thinks nations and generations.
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So, if he chooses not to answer my prayer like i choose like i'm
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Asking him and thinking and hoping and praying that he will,
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It doesn't mean that he hasn't heard my cry.
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It gives me the joy of knowing i put it in god's hands.
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That same man, hezekiah, prayed, and i feel led to say this to
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Someone watching me today, when he was given a death sentence.
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And the prophet came and said the lord sent me today to tell
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You to set your house in order, you're going to die.
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Get your will and everything ready, be prepared.
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There's a great lesson in that.
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Get your house in order, you know, you never know.
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But here's the power of that, he turned his face to the wall
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Which would have been toward the window which would have been
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Toward--they built their homes with windows toward the east.
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Even jonah, when he was in the belly of the whale said he
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Turned himself eastward, because they believed that all prayers
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Go to jerusalem and then go up to heaven.
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And that's neither here nor there, but i want you to
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Understand there's a reason why they would turn to the--and
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Here's the power of that prayer.
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He prayed a--this is crazy, and this is in isaiah 38, he prayed
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A 29-word prayer, and god gave him 15 more years.
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The prophet walked back in, he prayed a short prayer of
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Repentance and saying--and he said, "god, remember what i've
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Done for your kingdom," not that we can earn it, but i love that
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He was just saying--
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And then he makes this statement, "the dead can't
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Praise you, and when i go to the grave, i can't--i've helped
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Restore the temple.
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I can't help and do the work of the lord, i can't go out and
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Feed the hungry if i'm dead.
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So, if you'll make an exception here, i know you've given me--
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But heal me and give me more life," and god stopped
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The universe.
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The bible said he turned the sun dial back ten degrees.
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He said to the whole universe, "stop, i'm going to show this
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Man a sign that i'm giving him 15 more years."
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And you know what?
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God is still god.
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He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, and i don't care
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What kind of report you've got.
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We thank god for doctors, we're not against them, they keep
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Us alive.
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We thank god for it, but they don't have the last word.
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Jesus is the great physician, and he holds the keys, and we
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Need to pray.
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If you've got a baby that's sick and dying or whatever, you
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Don't know.
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It is no secret what god can do, and when we pray short prayers
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With great passion, and i feel like that people are watching
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This program, and can i just--this is what i do.
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I'm a minister.
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I'm not here to sell a book.
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I'm here to tell people god answers prayer, and i feel like
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I ought to say to people watching this program that if
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You need--if i were in church, i'd have an altar call
00:13:58.627 --> 00:14:01.997
Right now.
00:14:01.997 --> 00:14:03.332
I'd have people come forward.
00:14:03.332 --> 00:14:04.700
I wanna give three calls.
00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:06.468
He said call on me, call, pick up and call on me, and i'll show
00:14:06.468 --> 00:14:11.206
You great and mighty things.
00:14:11.206 --> 00:14:12.574
That's a bible verse that, you know, not a healing call.
00:14:12.574 --> 00:14:16.578
We're gonna pray a short prayer for healing.
00:14:16.578 --> 00:14:19.448
A family call, if your family's in crisis, and you need a
00:14:19.448 --> 00:14:23.719
Miracle in your home, your marriage, or your family.
00:14:23.719 --> 00:14:26.855
A healing call, you need god to heal some situation.
00:14:26.855 --> 00:14:32.528
A family call, and lastly a salvation call.
00:14:32.528 --> 00:14:36.332
If you don't know jesus, if you've wandered and you're not
00:14:36.332 --> 00:14:39.835
Sure, and you're just gone so deep, and you don't even know
00:14:39.835 --> 00:14:42.604
Why you're watching, it's not a long prayer god needs.
00:14:42.604 --> 00:14:46.575
All he needs from you is, lord, heal me.
00:14:46.575 --> 00:14:51.380
Lord, save my family.
00:14:51.380 --> 00:14:54.984
Lord, forgive me, cleanse me, wash me in your precious blood.
00:14:54.984 --> 00:15:00.689
He's doing it right now if you prayed that.
00:15:00.689 --> 00:15:02.858
Just say it, just say, lord, heal me, heal my family, save my
00:15:02.858 --> 00:15:08.864
Family, preserve us, protect us, restore us, and god save my
00:15:08.864 --> 00:15:15.537
Family, in jesus's mighty name.
00:15:15.537 --> 00:15:19.575
Randy: amen, amen, and i do want people to know that there's
00:15:19.575 --> 00:15:22.311
Someone that can pray further with you.
00:15:22.311 --> 00:15:24.513
That's sufficient.
00:15:24.513 --> 00:15:25.881
Look, your short prayer is sufficient, but if you do wanna
00:15:25.881 --> 00:15:27.483
Reach out, call that number or there's someone who will
00:15:27.483 --> 00:15:31.387
Continue to pray with you.
00:15:31.387 --> 00:15:32.855
Jentezen, there's one last thing, i've gotta hit this,
00:15:32.855 --> 00:15:36.458
Because you tell a story.
00:15:36.458 --> 00:15:37.826
We probably don't have time for the full story, but about your
00:15:37.826 --> 00:15:39.962
Grandmother, and there are a lot of grandparents that watch
00:15:39.962 --> 00:15:42.698
This show.
00:15:42.698 --> 00:15:44.066
The idea of prayer leaving a legacy is the truth that we--
00:15:44.066 --> 00:15:48.604
I really want people to hear.
00:15:48.604 --> 00:15:50.205
Jentezen: so, i never met my grandmother.
00:15:50.205 --> 00:15:51.840
She was 39 years old when she died.
00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:54.376
She and my grandfather, who i knew very well, they had
00:15:54.376 --> 00:15:59.081
18 children.
00:15:59.081 --> 00:16:00.416
Blynda: wow.
00:16:00.416 --> 00:16:01.784
Jentezen: eighteen.
00:16:01.784 --> 00:16:03.118
And their home burned down, and my grandfather rebuilt, and he
00:16:03.118 --> 00:16:09.458
Had--but the only thing he kept from the old house that burned
00:16:09.458 --> 00:16:12.561
Was the outhouse.
00:16:12.561 --> 00:16:14.763
Of course, they had indoor plumbing then, so they didn't--
00:16:14.763 --> 00:16:17.499
But they brought it, and my grandmother, letty, turned that,
00:16:17.499 --> 00:16:21.904
Because if you've got 18 children, you know this.
00:16:21.904 --> 00:16:24.406
If you've got 18 children, you don't get any personal time.
00:16:24.406 --> 00:16:27.976
She had no time to pray, so she turned the outhouse into her
00:16:27.976 --> 00:16:33.115
Prayer closet.
00:16:33.115 --> 00:16:34.450
If they ever saw her going out to the outhouse in the backyard,
00:16:34.450 --> 00:16:39.088
She was going to the prayer closet, and they knew, no, you
00:16:39.088 --> 00:16:41.790
Can't go out there now, she's in the prayer closet with jesus.
00:16:41.790 --> 00:16:45.360
And she wrote prayers all over that outhouse for each of
00:16:45.360 --> 00:16:48.497
The children.
00:16:48.497 --> 00:16:49.865
I want to read one in closing.
00:16:49.865 --> 00:16:51.200
Randy: yeah.
00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:52.568
Jentezen: august 16th, 1948.
00:16:52.568 --> 00:16:54.603
Now, this is for all the grannies out there and all the
00:16:54.603 --> 00:16:57.339
Grandpas out there that think you don't make a difference.
00:16:57.339 --> 00:17:00.676
August 6th, 1948, she wrote this on the outhouse as a prayer,
00:17:00.676 --> 00:17:05.948
"the baby is sick.
00:17:05.948 --> 00:17:08.016
Maybe it won't amount to much.
00:17:08.016 --> 00:17:10.419
Polio is spreading.
00:17:10.419 --> 00:17:13.422
Lord, keep her and protect her and help us to be more humble,
00:17:13.422 --> 00:17:18.460
More obedient, more bold, and more spiritual."
00:17:18.460 --> 00:17:22.898
And here i sit on national television.
00:17:22.898 --> 00:17:27.035
I never met her.
00:17:27.035 --> 00:17:28.937
She didn't know i was gonna even be born.
00:17:28.937 --> 00:17:30.906
I wasn't born yet when she wrote that.
00:17:30.906 --> 00:17:33.609
And i'm preaching the gospel on television right now, but she
00:17:33.609 --> 00:17:38.313
Prayed a prayer that was written on the outhouse.
00:17:38.313 --> 00:17:41.283
You don't know how god is using your prayers, grandmother.
00:17:41.283 --> 00:17:46.488
You don't understand.
00:17:46.488 --> 00:17:47.856
You don't know how god is affecting generations to come,
00:17:47.856 --> 00:17:52.327
Because our prayers never die.
00:17:52.327 --> 00:17:53.996
The bible said that there's a bowl in heaven in revelation 5
00:17:53.996 --> 00:17:57.466
That gets full.
00:17:57.466 --> 00:17:58.800
At some point it gets full, and an angel pours out the prayers
00:17:58.800 --> 00:18:03.205
That have been collected in that golden bowl in heaven.
00:18:03.205 --> 00:18:06.008
I hope there's one that you're filling up in your family.
00:18:06.008 --> 00:18:08.844
Randy: that's so good.
00:18:08.844 --> 00:18:10.179
Blynda: it's amazing, i was gonna end with this.
00:18:10.179 --> 00:18:12.814
You say in the book, "you are not just speaking words into the
00:18:12.814 --> 00:18:16.151
Air, you are releasing the very power of heaven into situations
00:18:16.151 --> 00:18:21.490
That look impossible."
00:18:21.490 --> 00:18:23.825
I can't imagine a better way to close, that we get the privilege
00:18:23.825 --> 00:18:27.596
Of opening up heaven that god can do the impossible.
00:18:27.596 --> 00:18:31.400
Pastor jentezen, thank you for joining us.
00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:33.202
Jentezen: thank you so much.
00:18:33.202 --> 00:18:34.536
Randy: absolutely, we appreciate all of you guys out
00:18:34.536 --> 00:18:35.904
There watching.
00:18:35.904 --> 00:18:37.239
We have an opportunity right now to partner with some people.
00:18:37.239 --> 00:18:40.242
We want your prayers, we want your action if god leads you
00:18:40.242 --> 00:18:43.378
To it.
00:18:43.378 --> 00:18:44.713
And you talk about generational blessings.
00:18:44.713 --> 00:18:47.950
We have seen, i've seen it in my lifetime.
00:18:47.950 --> 00:18:51.053
We are seeing it where we are reaching out with god's love in
00:18:51.053 --> 00:18:54.656
Word and in deed, and it's impacting generations.
00:18:54.656 --> 00:18:58.927
I won't get to see the end of it, but that's okay, i can write
00:18:58.927 --> 00:19:01.830
It on the outhouse wall and know that it's in god's hands, but i
00:19:01.830 --> 00:19:04.967
Wanna invite you into this, it's such a beautiful opportunity.
00:19:04.967 --> 00:19:08.637
Watch this and see how you can partner with us to
00:19:08.637 --> 00:19:11.340
Impact generations.
00:19:11.340 --> 00:19:13.141
John: i had the privilege of visiting one of the hospitals
00:19:14.443 --> 00:19:16.878
Of our medical mission partners in africa.
00:19:16.878 --> 00:19:19.915
While there, i met some of their staff who were making
00:19:19.915 --> 00:19:22.484
Their rounds.
00:19:22.484 --> 00:19:24.086
A meaningful time for me was being with some of the families
00:19:24.086 --> 00:19:27.189
And their children who were recovering from surgery.
00:19:27.189 --> 00:19:31.026
Each and every day their medical staff see children who are born
00:19:31.026 --> 00:19:34.129
With serious physical conditions.
00:19:34.129 --> 00:19:36.999
Many have never been able to walk normally because of having
00:19:36.999 --> 00:19:40.936
Club feet or windswept legs or bowed legs.
00:19:40.936 --> 00:19:44.973
Other conditions they see range from cleft lip, cleft palate,
00:19:44.973 --> 00:19:49.845
Childhood injuries that impact bone growth and
00:19:49.845 --> 00:19:52.714
Physical appearances.
00:19:52.714 --> 00:19:54.950
If not corrected in time, these children are destined to lead a
00:19:54.950 --> 00:19:58.053
Life of misery and suffering, but that's where these gifted
00:19:58.053 --> 00:20:02.991
Surgeons step in in a very unique way.
00:20:02.991 --> 00:20:06.395
Joseph theuri: and that's why even as medical people, we
00:20:06.395 --> 00:20:08.997
Really have to depend on him.
00:20:08.997 --> 00:20:10.499
We have to pray for them who are the patients.
00:20:10.499 --> 00:20:13.235
Pray for them when we are doing the operations.
00:20:13.235 --> 00:20:15.771
Just because we know that we are just the hands of someone who is
00:20:15.771 --> 00:20:20.275
Actually doing the work.
00:20:20.275 --> 00:20:21.643
You're just doing that small part, and then god does
00:20:21.643 --> 00:20:25.614
The rest.
00:20:25.614 --> 00:20:27.416
John: it is wonderful seeing children walk and run and play
00:20:27.416 --> 00:20:30.786
With smiles and laughter in ways they never could before.
00:20:30.786 --> 00:20:35.057
I invite you to join us in supporting life's medical
00:20:35.057 --> 00:20:38.126
Missions outreach with your prayers, your love, and your
00:20:38.126 --> 00:20:42.731
Financial support so that even more children can experience
00:20:42.731 --> 00:20:46.635
Healing, hope, and lasting change.
00:20:46.635 --> 00:20:49.971
Randy: will you come alongside us right now?
00:20:52.040 --> 00:20:54.943
Will you partner in this outreach of love
00:20:54.943 --> 00:20:58.747
And of mercy and grace?
00:20:58.747 --> 00:21:01.583
Go to the phone or go online. make the best gift you can.
00:21:01.583 --> 00:21:05.487
Let's make this hospital renovation a reality.
00:21:05.487 --> 00:21:09.591
Announcer: many children in africa are born with severe
00:21:10.959 --> 00:21:13.295
Deformities or suffer life-altering injuries,
00:21:13.295 --> 00:21:16.198
Conditions like club feet, windswept legs, and untreated
00:21:16.198 --> 00:21:19.634
Fractures force them to live in pain because help is out
00:21:19.634 --> 00:21:23.071
Of reach.
00:21:23.071 --> 00:21:24.439
But you can offer healing today.
00:21:24.439 --> 00:21:26.641
Our mission partner in zimbabwe runs a children's hospital now
00:21:26.641 --> 00:21:30.512
At capacity and in urgent need of renovation and expansion.
00:21:30.512 --> 00:21:34.816
With a $600,000 goal and only a short period of time to raise
00:21:34.816 --> 00:21:38.487
The necessary funds, your best gift today helps children
00:21:38.487 --> 00:21:42.424
Receive the surgical care they need at no cost to the families.
00:21:42.424 --> 00:21:46.361
Together we can heal precious lives and reveal the love
00:21:46.361 --> 00:21:49.998
Of jesus.
00:21:49.998 --> 00:21:51.333
With a gift of any amount, we'll send you the "global impact of
00:21:51.333 --> 00:21:54.770
Life" journal, featuring inspiring photos from
00:21:54.770 --> 00:21:57.839
Life's outreaches.
00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.174
This beautiful journal is a reminder that your prayers and
00:21:59.174 --> 00:22:02.010
Partnership are making a global difference.
00:22:02.010 --> 00:22:05.213
With your gift of $126 or more, you may request "a life of
00:22:05.213 --> 00:22:09.818
Compassion" coffee table book, capturing life outreach's heart
00:22:09.818 --> 00:22:13.288
For the world.
00:22:13.288 --> 00:22:14.623
Each page pairs timeless bible verses with vivid mission field
00:22:14.623 --> 00:22:18.260
Photography, making god's word visible in action.
00:22:18.260 --> 00:22:22.564
Finally, please consider a gift of $1,026 to help with the
00:22:22.564 --> 00:22:26.835
Expansion of operating rooms so children are no longer turned
00:22:26.835 --> 00:22:30.238
Away and request life's beautiful bronze sculpture, the
00:22:30.238 --> 00:22:33.875
Good shepherd.
00:22:33.875 --> 00:22:35.210
This is the last week.
00:22:35.210 --> 00:22:36.678
Please call, write, or make your gift online.
00:22:36.678 --> 00:22:39.981
Randy: i do hope you'll go online, go to the phone, make
00:22:41.483 --> 00:22:43.285
The best gift you can.
00:22:43.285 --> 00:22:44.653
And today if you want the power of short prayers just to bless
00:22:44.653 --> 00:22:47.656
You, you request that with your gift.
00:22:47.656 --> 00:22:49.524
We'd love to get it in your hands.
00:22:49.524 --> 00:22:51.259
But most of all, we'd love for you to join us in prayer and in
00:22:51.259 --> 00:22:55.063
Deed as we reach out with god's love.
00:22:55.063 --> 00:22:57.466
Pastor jentezen, thank you so much.
00:22:57.466 --> 00:23:00.335
Jentezen: well, thank you, thank you for what you do for so many.
00:23:00.335 --> 00:23:03.438
And this ministry has integrity, it's done it for generations,
00:23:03.438 --> 00:23:07.175
For years, and it's just an honor to be here today.
00:23:07.175 --> 00:23:11.379
I appreciate you and all that you're doing for the kingdom of
00:23:11.379 --> 00:23:14.783
God and the needy.
00:23:14.783 --> 00:23:16.551
Randy: thank you so much.
00:23:16.551 --> 00:23:17.919
I appreciate you guys out there watching.
00:23:17.919 --> 00:23:19.254
Come back for more next time on "life today."
00:23:19.254 --> 00:23:22.224
[music]
00:23:22.224 --> 00:23:29.030
Colby maier: you cannot walk into the fullness of your
00:23:29.030 --> 00:23:30.699
Calling with your hands full of what god already told you to let
00:23:30.699 --> 00:23:34.469
Go of.
00:23:34.469 --> 00:23:36.404
Let that sink in for a second.
00:23:36.404 --> 00:23:38.540
Some of us are begging god for clarity, for breakthrough, for
00:23:38.540 --> 00:23:42.110
Purpose, while still clinging on to what he's already asked us to
00:23:42.110 --> 00:23:46.715
Release.
00:23:46.715 --> 00:23:48.683
And we wonder why we feel stuck.
00:23:48.683 --> 00:23:51.019
We wonder why we feel caught in the past.
00:23:51.019 --> 00:23:54.523
See, the past may have shaped you, but it was never meant to
00:23:54.523 --> 00:23:57.726
Shackle you.
00:23:57.726 --> 00:23:59.528
God is a forward-moving god.
00:23:59.528 --> 00:24:02.430
Throughout scripture we see him calling people out of what was
00:24:02.430 --> 00:24:06.101
Into what's next.
00:24:06.101 --> 00:24:08.470
He called abraham out of his homeland, he called moses out of
00:24:08.470 --> 00:24:11.473
Hiding, he called israel out of egypt, he called peter out of
00:24:11.473 --> 00:24:15.377
The boat, and he called lazarus out of the grave.
00:24:15.377 --> 00:24:19.948
And every time the call required movement.
00:24:19.948 --> 00:24:23.518
It required letting go.
00:24:23.518 --> 00:24:25.854
It required trust.
00:24:25.854 --> 00:24:28.223
Lot's wife looked back and lost her future.
00:24:28.223 --> 00:24:31.426
Paul says this in the new testament, he says, "this one
00:24:31.426 --> 00:24:33.828
Thing i do: forgetting what lies behind, i press on toward the
00:24:33.828 --> 00:24:38.500
Goal."
00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:40.101
Jesus told his followers that no one who puts his hand to the
00:24:40.101 --> 00:24:43.038
Plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of god, why?
00:24:43.038 --> 00:24:48.977
Because you can't step forward with your head turned backward.
00:24:48.977 --> 00:24:53.315
And yet some of us are gripping onto yesterday's betrayal,
00:24:53.315 --> 00:24:56.084
Yesterday's offense, yesterday's comfort zone, yesterday's
00:24:56.084 --> 00:24:59.821
Identity, thinking we can still move forward.
00:24:59.821 --> 00:25:04.259
But faith requires empty hands.
00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:07.429
Obedience requires trust.
00:25:07.429 --> 00:25:10.065
Surrender means releasing what's behind so you can receive what's
00:25:10.065 --> 00:25:14.402
Ahead, letting go of your history so you can step into
00:25:14.402 --> 00:25:19.274
Your god-given destiny.
00:25:19.274 --> 00:25:21.476
Maybe god is asking you today to lay it down, that grudge, that
00:25:21.476 --> 00:25:26.181
Relationship, that thing that was said over you, that version
00:25:26.181 --> 00:25:29.985
Of yourself that you've outgrown.
00:25:29.985 --> 00:25:32.721
If you don't release it, it's gonna weigh you down.
00:25:32.721 --> 00:25:36.257
If you don't let it go, it will keep you from where god is
00:25:36.257 --> 00:25:39.527
Leading you, because hear this.
00:25:39.527 --> 00:25:42.731
The spirit of god is not leading you in circles, friends.
00:25:42.731 --> 00:25:46.368
He's leading you forward with confidence, with hope, with
00:25:46.368 --> 00:25:49.771
Victory, so release the weight, let the history go, and stop
00:25:49.771 --> 00:25:55.276
Rehearsing the pain, the failure, the could-have-beens.
00:25:55.276 --> 00:25:59.714
That chapter is over.
00:25:59.714 --> 00:26:01.850
God is doing something new.
00:26:01.850 --> 00:26:04.152
He's calling you into deeper faith, greater freedom, and a
00:26:04.152 --> 00:26:07.522
Future that's rooted in his promise, not in your past.
00:26:07.522 --> 00:26:12.560
So, don't let what's behind you disqualify you from what's out
00:26:12.560 --> 00:26:16.431
In front of you.
00:26:16.431 --> 00:26:18.166
Take a breath, loosen that grip, and let it go, and step into
00:26:18.166 --> 00:26:25.473
What god is doing next.
00:26:25.473 --> 00:26:28.943
Female announcer: visit lifetoday.org.
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Matt chandler: i kind of bought into this lie, this deep lie
00:27:02.744 --> 00:27:05.313
That i'm useful, but not necessarily loveable.
00:27:05.313 --> 00:27:08.750
Announcer: matt chandler, next week.
00:27:08.750 --> 00:27:10.819
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Of life outreach international.
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Jentezen Franklin: Powerful Prayers | Life Today

April 16, 2026 | 27:29

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