A Faith That Can Heal Illness Part 2
January 3, 2021
27:29
Pastor Rick shares biblical truth and practical tools for living the full life God desires for everyone.
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A Faith That Can Heal Illness Part 2
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- Rick Warren: Jameschapter 5, verses 13 to 18,
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- says this.
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- James 5, starting with verse 13.
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- "Are you hurting?Then you should pray.
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- Are you happy?
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- Then you shouldsing songs of praise.
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- Are you sick?
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- Then you should call the churchelders to pray over you
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- and anoint you with oil inthe name of the Lord.
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- And the prayer that is offeredin faith will heal
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- the sick person; and the Lordwill raise him up.
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- And if you've sinned,you'll be forgiven.
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- Therefore, confess your faultsto each other and pray
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- for each other thatyou may be healed.
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- The earnest prayer ofa believing person
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- is powerful and effective.
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- For example, Elijah was ahuman being just like us.
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- Yet when he prayed earnestlythat no rain would fall,
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- there was no rainfor 3 1/2 years!
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- And then, he prayed that itwould rain, and it poured down
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- and everythingbegan to grow again!"
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- You know, I really love thatlast phrase where it says after
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- Elijah prayed, "Andeverything began to grow again."
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- Friends, that's a verse of hope.
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- That's a verse of hope that weall need in this season of the
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- COVID-19 global pandemic.
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- I'm praying for everythingto start growing
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- in your life again.
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- So many people need healingtoday, not just those
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- who are sick physically.
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- Some of 'em are sick from thepandemic and others are sick
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- from other kinds of illnesses,but there are so many people
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- needing healing today, not justphysical healing but economic
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- healing, financial healing, theeconomy's sick, our culture
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- is sick, our nations are sick.
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- And we need healing inso many, many areas.
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- That's why this is animportant message today.
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- And I want you to notice that inthat passage I just read,
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- James 5, in just six versesJames mentions prayer
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- seven times.
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- If you're taking notes, go backand circle the word "pray"
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- or "prayer."
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- Seven times in six verses.
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- He didn't want you to missthe point and here it is.
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- Healing comes through prayer.
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- Not through healers.
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- Healing comes through prayer.
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- When someone prays for you,there is the healing there.
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- So what I wanna do in just thelast few minutes is simply ask
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- four questions.
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- When should I pray for healing?
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- Number two: Why aren't peoplehealed every time we pray?
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- Number three: Whocan pray for healing?
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- And finally: How do I prayfor healing for myself
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- and for other people?
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- This is a very important messageso I would encourage you
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- to take notes on it.
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- Number one: Whenshould I pray for healing?
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- Well, in that passage Ijust read, James mentions
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- four specific times topray for healing.
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- And we find these fourcircumstances in
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- the four different wordsand phrases he uses.
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- First, he says:"Are you hurting?"
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- And then he says:"Are you sick?"
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- That's astheneo, which means,"I feel weak," or
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- "I feel sick," or "I feel ill."
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- It could be weakness or illness.
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- Then he says: "The sick person."
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- That's the Greek word "kamno"which means "I'm weary,
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- I'm worn out, I feel like givingup, I'm tired, I'm drained."
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- That's the word "kamno."
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- And then he says, "And Elijahprayed and it didn't rain
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- for 3 1/2 years."
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- And so he prayed for rainand it sent a gullywasher.
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- And no rain for 3 1/2 years.
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- He's talking about adrought, a dry spell.
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- Some of you, right now, aregoing through a dry spell in
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- your life becauseof this pandemic.
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- Everything's beenshut down in your life.
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- You're going through a spiritualdry spell or a physical dry
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- spell or an emotional dry spell.
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- Things have driedup in your life.
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- So, based on those four thingshe just said in that passage,
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- here's the answer tothe first question, okay?
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- Write this down.When should I pray for healing?
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- Four things: anytime I'mhurting, sick, tired, or empty.
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- Some of you are thinking, "Rick,those four words describe the
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- totality of my life, right now.
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- I'm sick and tiredand empty and hurting."
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- Well, then, this is the time topray for healing in your life.
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- And have other people prayfor healing in your life.
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- Next question,question number two:
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- Why aren't peoplehealed every time?
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- Well, the answeris pretty simple.
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- We simply don't knowGod's will.
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- God's not gonna give yousomething against his will
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- 'cause God alwayswants what's best for you.
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- You don't always knowwhat's best for you.
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- You know, I could pray forthings that really wouldn't be
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- good for me but Idon't know God's will.
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- And God usesillnesses in many ways.
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- So when we pray for healing,we're asking God for healing
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- 'cause all we know is--all wecan see is our side
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- and God says, "Just praywhat you ask for.
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- Pray what you desire.
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- Pray the desires of your heart."
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- But then we trust God that ifit's not his will because he
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- knows something else, he's notgonna answer with a yes on that.
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- God answers every prayer,sometimes "Yes," sometimes "No,"
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- sometimes "Wait," sometimes"You've gotta be kiddin'."
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- We don't have time to list allthe ways that God uses illness
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- and sickness in our lives,but let me just mention three.
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- Why does God sometimesallow sickness in my life?
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- Three reasons.
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- Number one: To get myattention and to redirect me.
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- To get myattention and redirect me.
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- Sometimes God has to lay youflat on your back in order to
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- get you to look up to God.
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- "He makes me lie downin green pastures."
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- Psalm 119, verse 71 saysthis: "It was good for me to be
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- afflicted so that Imight learn your decrees."
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- Another good verse is Proverbs20, verse 30: "Sometimes it
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- takes a painful experienceto make us change our ways."
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- Ha, ha, ha, ha, anybody wannagive a testimony on that one?
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- You could all give a storyin your Small Group on how it
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- takes--sometimes it takes apainful experience to make us
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- change our ways.
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- Now, this first reason is whatthe Bible calls a sickness
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- for discipline or asickness for training.
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- The old English word is asickness under chastisement.
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- But this is--sometimes Godallows a sickness to redirect
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- us, get ourattention and redirect us.
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- Second reason: sometimesGod allows a sickness
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- to be a testimony for others.
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- Did you know that?
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- He knows he can trust you withan illness and he knows that
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- you'll be a good exampleto other people,
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- particularly unbelievers.
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- Paul says in Philippians chapter1, verse 12: "I want you to
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- know, my dear brothers andsisters, that what has happened
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- to me has helpedspread the Good News."
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- Where is Paul?
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- He's sick and in prison inRome when he writes that.
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- And he says, "I want you to knowthat what's happened has helped
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- spread the Good News."
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- I could spend a whole message onthis but I'll just say it like
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- this: After walking with Godfor six decades, I've been
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- a Christian now 60 years, Ihave come to the conclusion
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- that maybe the greatest witnessyou--you will ever have in front
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- of unbelievers and other peoplewho don't know Jesus yet
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- is your example of the wayyou handle pain.
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- I have found that tobe true in my own life.
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- Christians aren'texempt from problems.
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- We have the same oneseverybody else does.
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- We just have our relationshipto Christ to strengthen us and
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- comfort us, encourage us,and give us hope and wisdom.
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- And sometimes, God lets you beill 'cause he can trust you to
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- be an example of patienceand godliness to others and
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- the Bible calls this kind ofsickness a sickness to
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- the glory of God.
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- A sickness untothe glory of God.
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- Jesus talks about it.
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- When Jesus went to heal Lazaruswho had died--that was a deadly
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- illness, Jesus announced,"This sickness," this is
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- John 11--chapter 11, verse 4.
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- "This sickness willnot end in death.
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- It is an illness for the gloryof God, to bring glory
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- to the Son of God."
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- Did you know that there havebeen illnesses in your life that
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- God wanted to use tobring glory to himself?
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- Now, if you're griping andcomplaining and being bitter
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- the whole time, there's noglory going to God on that.
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- But when you respond to pressureand pain in a positive way,
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- it brings glory to God.
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- So there's a sickness fordiscipline and training,
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- there's a sickness forbringing glory to God.
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- But sometimes, God just allowsa sickness, number three,
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- to take us into eternity,to take us in.
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- This is called--the Bible callsthis a sickness unto death, and
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- he said about Lazarus, "That'snot a sickness unto death.
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- It's the second kind."
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- A sickness unto death--if youcould be healed, every--by every
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- illness just by having enoughfaith, then if you had enough
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- faith, you'd never die.
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- And you'd end up living on thisearth for ever 'cause anybody
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- had a lot of faith wouldjust never, never die.
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- And that certainlyisn't God's will.
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- Hebrews chapter 9, verse 27,says this: "God has already
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- appointed a time thateach of us will die."
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- Did you know that?
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- It's one appointmentyou're not gonna be late for.
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- "God has already appointeda time that each of us
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- will die and then our liveswill be judged by God."
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- So one of the reasons God allowsillness is sometimes
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- he wants to take you home, okay?
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- He wants to take you to heaven.
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- Your time on earth is done.
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- And if you could be healedevery time by everything,
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- then you'd never die.
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- So what I'm saying is we prayfor healing, trusting for God's
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- will to be done.
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- As Jesus prayed in the Gardenof Gethsemane, "Father,
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- if it's possible," and he says,"I know it's possible.
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- Take this cup from me.
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- Don't wanna gothrough this pain.
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- Nevertheless, thywill be done, not mine."
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- And that's what wedo when we pray.
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- "God, it's mydesire that you heal me.
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- It's my desire that you healmy son, my wife, my brother,
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- my sister, my friend.
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- Nevertheless, thy will be done."
- 00:11:10.025 --> 00:11:11.827
- 1 John 5:14 says this: "This isthe confidence that we have in
- 00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:18.633
- approaching God: that if we askanything according to his will,"
- 00:11:18.667 --> 00:11:23.438
- underline that, "anythingaccording to his will,"
- 00:11:23.472 --> 00:11:26.308
- "he will hear us."
- 00:11:26.341 --> 00:11:29.244
- female announcer: Theroom is quiet.
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- You take a deep breath and beginto think about God's plan
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- for your life and thedecisions you're facing.
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- Life is full of decisions, andthose decisions are like doors
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- we choose to walkthrough or walk past.
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- And walking through thedoors God has for you starts
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- by growing yourrelationship with him.
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- If you make time for God,he will show you the doors
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- to walk through and it willchange your life.
- 00:11:56.304 --> 00:11:59.174
- That's why Pastor Rick wants tohelp you with a daily devotional
- 00:11:59.207 --> 00:12:02.177
- book called "Open Doors."
- 00:12:02.210 --> 00:12:04.780
- Open the door to greaterintimacy with God and experience
- 00:12:04.813 --> 00:12:07.649
- the love, trust, andfreedom that comes from
- 00:12:07.682 --> 00:12:10.285
- a deeper relationship with him.
- 00:12:10.318 --> 00:12:12.888
- Request your copy of "OpenDoors" today as Pastor Rick's
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- thank you for your gift today.
- 00:12:15.557 --> 00:12:17.526
- Simply call the number on thescreen or visit PASTORRICK.COM
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- to receive yourcopy of "Open Doors."
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- Your gift will help Pastor Rickand the ministry of Daily Hope
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- reach more of ourhurting world with the gospel.
- 00:12:27.369 --> 00:12:30.005
- Call today.
- 00:12:30.038 --> 00:12:31.339
- Open the door to greaterintimacy with God and experience
- 00:12:31.373 --> 00:12:34.209
- a deeper relationship with him.
- 00:12:34.242 --> 00:12:37.112
- Rick: All right, so we'velooked at when we can pray
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- for healing, fourdifferent times.
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- We've looked at what happens whysome people don't get healed,
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- why every prayer isn'tanswered with "Yes."
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- Number three: Who--whocan pray for healing?
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- Do you have to be the Pope ora pastor or missionary
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- or somebody super-holy?
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- Who can pray for healing?Write this down.
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- Any child of Godcan pray for healing.
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- Any child of Godcan pray for healing.
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- You can come to yourheavenly Father and say,
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- "Daddy, I'm sick.
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- I need your healing."
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- This is what James 5,verses 16 and 17 says.
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- Let me read it again to you.
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- "The earnest prayer ofa believing person is
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- powerful and effective."
- 00:13:24.459 --> 00:13:26.294
- Now let me stop there.
- 00:13:26.328 --> 00:13:27.996
- "The earnest prayer ofa believing person."
- 00:13:28.029 --> 00:13:30.031
- It doesn't say youhave to be a super-saint.
- 00:13:30.065 --> 00:13:33.168
- You just have to bea believing person,
- 00:13:33.201 --> 00:13:35.403
- and you have to be earnest.
- 00:13:35.437 --> 00:13:37.272
- "The earnest prayer of abelieving person is powerful
- 00:13:37.305 --> 00:13:40.075
- and effective."
- 00:13:40.108 --> 00:13:41.476
- For example, he says Elijah wasa human being just like us, yet
- 00:13:41.509 --> 00:13:46.948
- when he "prayed earnestly," andyou know the rest of the story.
- 00:13:46.982 --> 00:13:50.619
- All those miracles happened.
- 00:13:50.652 --> 00:13:52.254
- Elijah's life was filled withone miracle after another,
- 00:13:52.287 --> 00:13:55.724
- but the most comforting thingabout that verse is this:
- 00:13:55.757 --> 00:13:58.727
- Elijah was just like us.
- 00:13:58.760 --> 00:14:01.796
- He's just like you.
- 00:14:01.830 --> 00:14:03.565
- He's just like me.
- 00:14:03.598 --> 00:14:05.333
- He wasn't some super-saint.
- 00:14:05.367 --> 00:14:07.435
- God used him because hedared to pray for miracles.
- 00:14:07.469 --> 00:14:10.872
- He dared to prayfor healing, okay?
- 00:14:10.906 --> 00:14:14.142
- He didn't have tobe somebody special.
- 00:14:14.175 --> 00:14:16.711
- He said he was just like us.
- 00:14:16.745 --> 00:14:18.280
- That means he had the sametemptations, he had the same
- 00:14:18.313 --> 00:14:20.615
- weaknesses, he had thesame sins, same faults.
- 00:14:20.649 --> 00:14:24.519
- If God only heard the prayers ofperfect people, nobody's prayers
- 00:14:24.552 --> 00:14:28.490
- would ever be heard.
- 00:14:28.523 --> 00:14:30.358
- God hears the prayers ofsinners, of failures,
- 00:14:30.392 --> 00:14:33.995
- of all of us who are imperfect.
- 00:14:34.029 --> 00:14:37.465
- You know, earlier in this text,James says: "You can call
- 00:14:37.499 --> 00:14:41.303
- the elders of your churchto pray for you
- 00:14:41.336 --> 00:14:44.572
- and anoint you with oil."
- 00:14:44.606 --> 00:14:46.041
- And of course, we dothat at Saddleback Church.
- 00:14:46.074 --> 00:14:48.310
- We do it all the time.
- 00:14:48.343 --> 00:14:49.711
- And we've talkedabout this many times.
- 00:14:49.744 --> 00:14:52.147
- But in our church, we've onlygot about a dozen elders, we've
- 00:14:52.180 --> 00:14:55.550
- got about 30.000 members, so wecan't keep up with everybody.
- 00:14:55.583 --> 00:15:00.121
- Now, what does it--what's hetalking about there, he says,
- 00:15:00.155 --> 00:15:02.223
- "While you pray,anoint with oil"?
- 00:15:02.257 --> 00:15:04.960
- Well, we've talkedabout this before.
- 00:15:04.993 --> 00:15:06.962
- Oil is simply asymbol of the Holy Spirit.
- 00:15:06.995 --> 00:15:10.265
- That's all it is.
- 00:15:10.298 --> 00:15:11.766
- Just like water in baptism is asymbol of your death and burial
- 00:15:11.800 --> 00:15:14.836
- and resurrection in Christ.
- 00:15:14.869 --> 00:15:16.604
- Just like water in baptism,oil in praying for healing.
- 00:15:16.638 --> 00:15:20.041
- It's just a symbol ofyour faith and trust.
- 00:15:20.075 --> 00:15:21.910
- There is no healingpower in any kind of oil.
- 00:15:21.943 --> 00:15:26.147
- So don't go writing off forsome kind of special oil.
- 00:15:26.181 --> 00:15:28.583
- It--you know, you coulduse Crisco or whatever.
- 00:15:28.616 --> 00:15:32.087
- It's just oil, just like thewater in a baptistery
- 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:35.023
- is just normal water.
- 00:15:35.056 --> 00:15:37.525
- But it's a symbol of your faith.
- 00:15:37.559 --> 00:15:38.994
- That's what matters, asymbol of your trust.
- 00:15:39.027 --> 00:15:41.196
- Now, you don't have to be anelder to pray for other people.
- 00:15:41.229 --> 00:15:45.266
- There are many, many, many otherScriptures in the New Testament
- 00:15:45.300 --> 00:15:48.870
- talk about praying for eachother, praying for healing
- 00:15:48.903 --> 00:15:51.706
- for each other.
- 00:15:51.740 --> 00:15:53.141
- And we even anoint eachother in the name of the Lord.
- 00:15:53.174 --> 00:15:57.012
- Why?
- 00:15:57.045 --> 00:15:58.413
- Because Jesus said this inJohn 14, verses 12 to 14.
- 00:15:58.446 --> 00:16:02.550
- Jesus said, "I tell you thetruth, anyone who has faith
- 00:16:02.584 --> 00:16:06.254
- in me will do what Ihave been doing."
- 00:16:06.287 --> 00:16:09.958
- What was he doing?
- 00:16:09.991 --> 00:16:11.292
- He was just--the verse rightbefore that, he's talking about
- 00:16:11.326 --> 00:16:13.161
- the miracles that he'd done,all the miracles he'd done.
- 00:16:13.194 --> 00:16:16.498
- And he says--then he turns tohis disciples after talking
- 00:16:16.531 --> 00:16:18.767
- about the miracles, and he says,"I tell you the truth, anybody
- 00:16:18.800 --> 00:16:21.469
- who has faith in me willdo what I've been doing.
- 00:16:21.503 --> 00:16:23.905
- He will even do greatermiracles than these,
- 00:16:23.938 --> 00:16:27.475
- because I'm going to the Father.
- 00:16:27.509 --> 00:16:30.445
- And I will do whatever youask in my name," in his prayer.
- 00:16:30.478 --> 00:16:35.417
- "I'll do whatever you ask in myname, so that the Son
- 00:16:35.450 --> 00:16:37.986
- may bring glory tothe Father," wow.
- 00:16:38.019 --> 00:16:42.590
- Now, I don't see many of usdoing greater works
- 00:16:42.624 --> 00:16:45.026
- than Jesus Christ.
- 00:16:45.060 --> 00:16:46.594
- How in the world are we gonnado greater works than Jesus?
- 00:16:46.628 --> 00:16:49.898
- Well, I'll tell you how.
- 00:16:49.931 --> 00:16:51.733
- Because when Jesus was herein this physical body,
- 00:16:51.766 --> 00:16:54.869
- he could only be in oneplace at one time.
- 00:16:54.903 --> 00:16:58.506
- So he could only heal one personhere and then one person there.
- 00:16:58.540 --> 00:17:02.110
- He couldn't be in China andin Europe and in Africa
- 00:17:02.143 --> 00:17:05.313
- at the same time.
- 00:17:05.346 --> 00:17:06.848
- But now, the body of Christ isspread all around the world.
- 00:17:06.881 --> 00:17:10.652
- We are the body of Christ, and2.3 billion people can pray for
- 00:17:10.685 --> 00:17:16.124
- healing for people at thesame time in every continent and
- 00:17:16.157 --> 00:17:20.895
- every country and every city andevery state and every province.
- 00:17:20.929 --> 00:17:25.800
- So that's how we do the greaterworks together, together.
- 00:17:25.834 --> 00:17:29.003
- We're not limited to one body.
- 00:17:29.037 --> 00:17:32.073
- The body of Christ is nowspread out all around the world.
- 00:17:32.107 --> 00:17:35.810
- Finally, let's look atreal simply how do
- 00:17:35.844 --> 00:17:39.647
- I pray for healing?
- 00:17:39.681 --> 00:17:41.116
- How do I pray for healing formyself and, for that matter,
- 00:17:41.149 --> 00:17:44.919
- how do I pray forhealing for others?
- 00:17:44.953 --> 00:17:47.655
- Did you know that God wants tomake you to be a healing agent?
- 00:17:47.689 --> 00:17:51.726
- Yeah, you, normal you.
- 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:53.828
- You don't have to be an elder.
- 00:17:53.862 --> 00:17:56.030
- God wants to use you to prayfor healing in people's lives.
- 00:17:56.064 --> 00:17:58.666
- It's not that complicated.
- 00:17:58.700 --> 00:18:00.702
- Just three thingsJames teaches us.
- 00:18:00.735 --> 00:18:02.904
- Number one: make sure myheart is clean from sin, okay?
- 00:18:02.937 --> 00:18:09.544
- That's the starting point.
- 00:18:09.577 --> 00:18:10.979
- I can't have--be holding on tounconfessed sin and then go out
- 00:18:11.012 --> 00:18:15.216
- and pray for either myselfor for somebody else
- 00:18:15.250 --> 00:18:17.652
- at the same time.
- 00:18:17.685 --> 00:18:19.220
- That's why in verse 16, he saysthis: "Confess your faults to
- 00:18:19.254 --> 00:18:23.858
- each other and pray for eachother that you may be healed."
- 00:18:23.892 --> 00:18:30.632
- Revealing your feeling isthe beginning of healing.
- 00:18:30.665 --> 00:18:34.769
- Confess yourfaults to each other.
- 00:18:34.802 --> 00:18:37.505
- Clean out your life,take out the garbage.
- 00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:41.075
- Confess your sins.
- 00:18:41.109 --> 00:18:43.211
- Get 'em out, get rid of 'em.
- 00:18:43.244 --> 00:18:45.246
- Now, you're nevergonna be perfect.
- 00:18:45.280 --> 00:18:47.448
- You've heard me say before,you will never be sinless
- 00:18:47.482 --> 00:18:50.785
- but it is possible to sin less.
- 00:18:50.818 --> 00:18:53.788
- You're never gonna besinless but you can sin less.
- 00:18:53.821 --> 00:18:57.225
- And you can confess and becleaned out inside,
- 00:18:57.258 --> 00:19:00.428
- revealing your feeling.
- 00:19:00.461 --> 00:19:02.230
- Confess your faults to eachother, pray for each other
- 00:19:02.263 --> 00:19:04.532
- that you may be healed.
- 00:19:04.566 --> 00:19:07.135
- That's step one.
- 00:19:07.168 --> 00:19:08.970
- Step two: bespecific when I ask.
- 00:19:09.003 --> 00:19:10.905
- Be specific when I ask.
- 00:19:10.939 --> 00:19:12.907
- Too many people areafraid to put God in a box.
- 00:19:12.941 --> 00:19:16.477
- And so they won't even askspecifically for healing.
- 00:19:16.511 --> 00:19:19.881
- They'll say, "Lord, be with thissick person and show 'em your
- 00:19:19.914 --> 00:19:23.117
- love and help 'em to knowyou're with 'em, and--"
- 00:19:23.151 --> 00:19:26.654
- That's all fine and good
- 00:19:26.688 --> 00:19:29.123
- but over 20 timesin the New Testament
- 00:19:29.157 --> 00:19:31.226
- we are commanded toask--ask, seek, knock.
- 00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:35.330
- "If you ask anything inmy name, I'll do it."
- 00:19:35.363 --> 00:19:37.332
- And you need to be specific.
- 00:19:37.365 --> 00:19:39.000
- James says in verse--chapter4, verse 2: "You don't have,
- 00:19:39.033 --> 00:19:42.670
- because you don't ask."
- 00:19:42.704 --> 00:19:44.739
- And I have been with many,many people who say,
- 00:19:44.772 --> 00:19:46.874
- "Pray for me; I'm sick."
- 00:19:46.908 --> 00:19:48.543
- And they say, "Lord, we just askyou be with 'em and bless 'em."
- 00:19:48.576 --> 00:19:50.812
- What's a blessing?
- 00:19:50.845 --> 00:19:53.214
- How would you--if a blessinghits you in the face,
- 00:19:53.248 --> 00:19:55.149
- how would you knowit had hit you?
- 00:19:55.183 --> 00:19:57.452
- I mean, sometimes, a blessingis an illness,
- 00:19:57.485 --> 00:20:00.121
- if you don't know that.
- 00:20:00.154 --> 00:20:01.789
- Is that whatyou're really praying?
- 00:20:01.823 --> 00:20:03.224
- So be specific.
- 00:20:03.258 --> 00:20:04.993
- You don't have, because youdon't--and I often say it like
- 00:20:05.026 --> 00:20:07.729
- this: God, you've told us manytimes in your Word to ask
- 00:20:07.762 --> 00:20:11.599
- and you've told usto pray for healing,
- 00:20:11.633 --> 00:20:14.135
- so I'm just obeying you.
- 00:20:14.168 --> 00:20:16.271
- I'm asking for youto heal this person.
- 00:20:16.304 --> 00:20:18.539
- Just heal 'em, okay?
- 00:20:18.573 --> 00:20:20.408
- It's up to you, Ican't control it.
- 00:20:20.441 --> 00:20:22.443
- I don't have any power in mebut you've told us to ask.
- 00:20:22.477 --> 00:20:25.880
- I'm asking you to heal 'em.
- 00:20:25.913 --> 00:20:27.382
- I'm doing what you say to do.
- 00:20:27.415 --> 00:20:28.916
- Keep your promise.
- 00:20:28.950 --> 00:20:30.852
- Keep your word.
- 00:20:30.885 --> 00:20:32.520
- Heal 'em, okay?
- 00:20:32.553 --> 00:20:34.222
- Be specific when you ask, andnumber three: it's real simple.
- 00:20:34.255 --> 00:20:38.593
- Ask in faith.Ask in faith.
- 00:20:38.626 --> 00:20:40.728
- That's the third thingJames says to do.
- 00:20:40.762 --> 00:20:42.630
- James chapter 1, verse 6: "Whenyou ask, you must believe and
- 00:20:42.664 --> 00:20:47.735
- not doubt, for the doublemindedman is unstable
- 00:20:47.769 --> 00:20:52.206
- in all of his ways."
- 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:54.075
- So, if you don't thinkGod's gonna heal, if you don't
- 00:20:54.108 --> 00:20:57.745
- believe, don't even ask 'causeyou're just wasting your breath.
- 00:20:57.779 --> 00:21:03.217
- But he says, "When you ask,you must believe and not doubt."
- 00:21:03.251 --> 00:21:05.820
- Why?
- 00:21:05.853 --> 00:21:07.422
- Because God has hispromises in his Word.
- 00:21:07.455 --> 00:21:11.726
- I'm trusting God for his willto be done but I'm gonna
- 00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:14.862
- do what God says to do.
- 00:21:14.896 --> 00:21:16.731
- I say, "God, you've told us topray, you've told us to ask,
- 00:21:16.764 --> 00:21:19.200
- you've told us to pray forhealing, I'm praying for
- 00:21:19.233 --> 00:21:20.835
- healing, I'm asking,now keep your word."
- 00:21:20.868 --> 00:21:24.605
- And then you justleave it up to God.
- 00:21:24.639 --> 00:21:27.642
- I wanna close rightnow by praying for you.
- 00:21:27.675 --> 00:21:33.214
- But in order for this to beeffective, I would like for you
- 00:21:33.247 --> 00:21:36.384
- to think of an area that youneed healing in your life, okay?
- 00:21:36.417 --> 00:21:41.456
- And so you can bespecific about it.
- 00:21:41.489 --> 00:21:44.258
- Now, I don't have to know it.
- 00:21:44.292 --> 00:21:45.660
- God knows it and you know it.
- 00:21:45.693 --> 00:21:47.261
- It doesn't matter to me about--Idon't have to know it
- 00:21:47.295 --> 00:21:49.564
- to pray for you.
- 00:21:49.597 --> 00:21:51.733
- So--but think about something,an area--do you need
- 00:21:51.766 --> 00:21:54.769
- a relationship thatneeds to be healed?
- 00:21:54.802 --> 00:21:58.339
- Do you have a physicalailment that needs to be healed?
- 00:21:58.373 --> 00:22:02.343
- Do you have a mentalillness that needs to be healed?
- 00:22:02.377 --> 00:22:08.082
- Well, we're gonna ask.
- 00:22:08.116 --> 00:22:10.618
- We're gonna pray right now.
- 00:22:10.651 --> 00:22:12.754
- We're going totrust God in his Word.
- 00:22:12.787 --> 00:22:15.223
- We're gonna leave the results tohim, but we're gonna do
- 00:22:15.256 --> 00:22:17.125
- what God says to do.
- 00:22:17.158 --> 00:22:19.560
- And if he says to do it, thenwe have to obey him and do it.
- 00:22:19.594 --> 00:22:22.864
- So I want you to think ofsomething in your life where you
- 00:22:22.897 --> 00:22:25.466
- need healing: financial healing,or maybe from depression,
- 00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:31.973
- or from worry, from anxiety,or maybe you need a job,
- 00:22:32.006 --> 00:22:36.277
- maybe you're out of work.
- 00:22:36.310 --> 00:22:38.379
- Whatever it is, I wantyou to think about that.
- 00:22:38.413 --> 00:22:41.482
- I'm gonna give you about tenseconds here to think about it,
- 00:22:41.516 --> 00:22:44.619
- and then I'm gonnaclose in prayer, all right?
- 00:22:44.652 --> 00:22:46.954
- Let's bow our heads.
- 00:22:46.988 --> 00:22:50.291
- So just think of what you wantto ask God to be healed of and
- 00:22:50.324 --> 00:22:59.767
- it won't hurt for you to shareit with your Small Group
- 00:22:59.801 --> 00:23:02.103
- and ask them to heal--prayfor your healing too.
- 00:23:02.136 --> 00:23:06.207
- That's powerful.
- 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:08.309
- But I'm gonna pray for youand you pray for you
- 00:23:08.342 --> 00:23:10.111
- and then you can get otherpeople to do that too.
- 00:23:10.144 --> 00:23:13.648
- Lord, I don't know all of thehundreds, even thousands,
- 00:23:14.415 --> 00:23:16.951
- of issues that are gonna bebrought before you right now.
- 00:23:16.984 --> 00:23:22.256
- You're not too busy, youcan--your circuits don't get
- 00:23:22.290 --> 00:23:25.293
- overloaded, you can handlemillions, billions of request
- 00:23:25.326 --> 00:23:30.097
- at the same time.
- 00:23:30.131 --> 00:23:33.067
- And so, as each of us come toyou in our point of need,
- 00:23:33.100 --> 00:23:37.872
- where we need maybe ahealing from bitterness.
- 00:23:37.905 --> 00:23:42.210
- There are people here, Lord, whoneed healing in their bodies, in
- 00:23:42.243 --> 00:23:46.681
- their organs, in their muscles,in their backs, in their brains,
- 00:23:46.714 --> 00:23:51.619
- in their bones, intheir digestive system.
- 00:23:51.652 --> 00:23:54.155
- There are people who needphysical healing, right now.
- 00:23:54.188 --> 00:23:58.826
- We're just doing what you say.
- 00:23:58.860 --> 00:24:00.962
- You've told us to ask, you'vetold us to believe, you've told
- 00:24:00.995 --> 00:24:04.298
- us to trust, so we're asking youto keep your word right now and
- 00:24:04.332 --> 00:24:08.603
- we come to you not in doubt,but in confidence that if we ask
- 00:24:08.636 --> 00:24:13.875
- anything according toyour will, it will be done.
- 00:24:13.908 --> 00:24:17.245
- We say, like Jesus,"Lord, this is what we want.
- 00:24:17.278 --> 00:24:21.282
- Nevertheless, thywill be done, not ours."
- 00:24:21.315 --> 00:24:25.253
- But that's not a lack of faith.
- 00:24:25.286 --> 00:24:27.154
- Our faith is in you.
- 00:24:27.188 --> 00:24:28.823
- We want your will in our lives.
- 00:24:28.856 --> 00:24:32.293
- And if that happens to bethis healing, so be it.
- 00:24:32.326 --> 00:24:36.030
- May we not stand in the wayof the gift you wanna give.
- 00:24:36.063 --> 00:24:40.535
- Lord, there are people herewho have never opened
- 00:24:40.568 --> 00:24:42.670
- their lives to Jesus Christ.
- 00:24:42.703 --> 00:24:44.739
- They've never received healingfor all of their sins--for all
- 00:24:44.772 --> 00:24:48.743
- of their--the guilt, thebad things in their lives.
- 00:24:48.776 --> 00:24:54.181
- May they, right now,receive your salvation.
- 00:24:54.215 --> 00:24:57.385
- If you've never asked himto do that, say,
- 00:24:57.418 --> 00:24:59.720
- "Jesus Christ, save me.
- 00:24:59.754 --> 00:25:01.756
- Forgive all my sins.
- 00:25:01.789 --> 00:25:04.091
- Accept me into your family.
- 00:25:04.125 --> 00:25:06.594
- Make me a new person.
- 00:25:06.627 --> 00:25:09.263
- I wanna be your child.
- 00:25:09.297 --> 00:25:10.998
- I wanna be in your family.
- 00:25:11.032 --> 00:25:12.934
- I wanna learn to know you."
- 00:25:12.967 --> 00:25:14.702
- Just say that, and say, "Jesus,I want to believe in you today
- 00:25:14.735 --> 00:25:18.506
- and I wanna trust you, andI'm asking you to save me."
- 00:25:18.539 --> 00:25:24.312
- Father, whatever the needs areas the pastor, a shepherd of
- 00:25:24.345 --> 00:25:29.083
- this flock, I'm asking you tohear these prayers and I pray
- 00:25:29.116 --> 00:25:33.788
- that whether the glory comesthrough us seeing a miracle or
- 00:25:33.821 --> 00:25:40.461
- whether the glory comes throughus being a witness of the right
- 00:25:40.494 --> 00:25:44.065
- attitude, that eitherway you will get glory.
- 00:25:44.098 --> 00:25:48.169
- We pray this in your name, amen.
- 00:25:48.202 --> 00:25:51.472
- announcer: The room is quiet.
- 00:25:57.845 --> 00:25:59.647
- You take a deep breath and beginto think about God's plan
- 00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:02.950
- for your life and thedecisions you're facing.
- 00:26:02.984 --> 00:26:06.220
- Life is full of decisions, andthose decisions are like doors
- 00:26:06.253 --> 00:26:09.490
- we choose to walkthrough or walk past.
- 00:26:09.523 --> 00:26:13.194
- And walking through thedoors God has for you starts
- 00:26:13.227 --> 00:26:15.463
- by growing yourrelationship with him.
- 00:26:15.496 --> 00:26:17.798
- If you make time for God, hewill show you the doors
- 00:26:17.832 --> 00:26:20.368
- to walk through and it willchange your life.
- 00:26:20.401 --> 00:26:23.270
- That's why Pastor Rick wants tohelp you with a daily devotional
- 00:26:23.304 --> 00:26:26.173
- book called "Open Doors."
- 00:26:26.207 --> 00:26:28.676
- Open the door to greaterintimacy with God and experience
- 00:26:28.709 --> 00:26:31.412
- the love, trust, andfreedom that comes from
- 00:26:31.445 --> 00:26:34.548
- a deeper relationship with him.
- 00:26:34.582 --> 00:26:36.984
- Request your copy of "OpenDoors" today as Pastor Rick's
- 00:26:37.018 --> 00:26:39.654
- thank you for your gift today.
- 00:26:39.687 --> 00:26:41.756
- Simply call the number on thescreen or visit PASTORRICK.COM
- 00:26:41.789 --> 00:26:45.459
- to receive yourcopy of "Open Doors."
- 00:26:45.493 --> 00:26:48.162
- Your gift will help Pastor Rickand the ministry of Daily Hope
- 00:26:48.195 --> 00:26:51.332
- reach more of ourhurting world with the gospel.
- 00:26:51.365 --> 00:26:54.068
- Call today.
- 00:26:54.101 --> 00:26:55.503
- Open the door to greaterintimacy with God and experience
- 00:26:55.536 --> 00:26:57.872
- a deeper relationship with him.
- 00:26:57.905 --> 00:27:01.776
- ♪♪♪
- 00:27:03.611 --> 00:27:13.621