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Touching Lives with James Merritt

James Merritt - Prayer 101

January 12, 2025 | S25:E2

James Merritt - Prayer 101
Touching Lives is the international broadcast ministry of Dr. James Merritt.
#Faith #Purpose #Prayer #LoveofGod #Selfishness #Religion #WordofGod #inActive #TouchingLiveswithJamesMerritt #JamesMerritt #Reward #Purity #Hypocrisy

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Touching Lives with James Merritt | James Merritt - Prayer 101 | January 12, 2025
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: welcome to the international broadcast ministry
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  • Of "touching lives" with dr. james merritt.
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  • Here at "touching lives," our mission is to touch the lives of
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  • The lost and enrich the faith of the found.
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  • And now, here is pastor, author, and speaker, dr. james merritt.
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  • Cc by aberdeen captioning 1-800-688-6621 aberdeen.io
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  • James merritt: i want you to imagine something.
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  • I want you to imagine you have a son that plays basketball.
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  • And i want you to imagine that michael jordan comes to you and
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  • Says, "i'll voluntarily teach your kid how to
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  • Play basketball."
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  • You'd be so excited.
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  • Or, you're a golfer.
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  • How many of you--anybody here golf?
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  • Some of you golf--well, i'm a golfer.
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  • Can you imagine if tiger woods gave you a call and said, "hey,
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  • I'll be willing to work with you one-on-one and i'll teach you
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  • Everything i know about how to play golf"?
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  • Or what if gordon ramsay called you and said, "you know what,
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  • I'm gonna become your professor of cooking.
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  • I'm gonna come to your house, i'm gonna show you everything
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  • You need to know about being the greatest cook in the world."
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  • If something like that happened, i mean, you'd be sitting on the
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  • Edge of your seat.
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  • You'd say, "man, i'm gonna take notes.
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  • I can't wait to hear what you've got to say."
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  • Well, how much more ready, how much more excited, how much more
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  • Eager should we be to hear what jesus has to say about
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  • Prayer--the greatest prayer warrior who ever lived, the one
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  • That we pray to?
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  • So we're gonna be taking today prayer 101.
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  • Next week, we'll pray--take prayer 201.
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  • Third week, we'll take prayer 301.
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  • If you're a guest of ours today, we're in a series we're calling,
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  • "get used to different," on the sermon on the mount.
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  • And so, jesus is coming to something that, frankly, all
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  • These religious experts that was in that crowd that day, the
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  • Pharisees, the sadducees, the ph.d.s, the seminary professors
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  • That wore their clerical robes everywhere they went, who
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  • Thought they knew how to get in touch with god.
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  • Even those hardened spiritual veterans, when they heard jesus
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  • Pray, even they had to admit, "we've never heard anybody pray
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  • Like that.
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  • We didn't know anybody could pray like that.
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  • We wanna learn how to pray like that."
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  • In fact, his disciples the first time they heard him pray, they
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  • Were so blown away by what they heard, they said, "lord, teach
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  • Us to pray."
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  • And it was unbelievable how different it was when jesus
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  • Taught them.
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  • There was a ph.d. student at princeton university, true
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  • Story, he went into the office of dr. albert einstein.
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  • He was gonna be--he's gonna do a ph.d. at princeton.
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  • So he's trying to think about doing a good dissertation, so he
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  • Walked into dr. einstein's office and he said,
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  • Dr. einstein, "what is there left in the world for original
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  • Dissertation research?
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  • What do you think i need to give my next three years of my life
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  • To study, that maybe nobody's really studied nearly like they
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  • Should, and we need to learn all that we can about it?"
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  • And it'll blow your mind what he said.
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  • Dr. albert einstein said, quote, "find out about prayer, find out
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  • Everything you can about prayer."
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  • So, we're gonna do a deep dive into prayer.
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  • Now, if you brought your notebook, we're on page six.
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  • If you're taking notes today, we're on page six in
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  • Your notebook.
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  • But what i wanna do is this: before we get into the message,
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  • I want you to write down three things--i'd really like for most
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  • Of you to write these, just, you know--unless you got a
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  • Photographic memory--i want you to write down three things.
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  • Because the three things i want you to write down are gonna be
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  • The three things you need to remember, because they will
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  • Motivate you to pray.
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  • They'll motivate you to learn how to pray, and they'll
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  • Motivate you on what to pray.
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  • So, i'll say three quick things: first of all, god
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  • Requires prayer.
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  • God does not ask us to pray.
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  • God does not suggest that we pray.
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  • God commands that we pray.
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  • So when you don't pray, you're sinning.
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  • When you don't pray, you're living in rebellion against god.
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  • God requires prayer.
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  • Second thing i want you to write down: god receives prayer.
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  • That is, god hears prayer.
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  • God's prayer light is always on.
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  • Whenever you pray--this is a wonderful thing--whenever you
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  • Pray, whenever you go into the presence of the creator of the
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  • Universe, think about all the things god's got to do all
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  • The time.
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  • But when you pray, god puts down everything he's doing, and he
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  • Gives us his full attention, he receives prayer.
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  • But the best thing i want you to hear is: god rewards prayer.
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  • God answers prayer.
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  • Now, here's what you're gonna be surprised at.
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  • As we begin prayer 101, it's gonna really shock you what
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  • Jesus does.
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  • Jesus does not begin by teaching us what to pray.
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  • He doesn't begin by teaching us how to pray.
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  • First of all, he says, "well, before we do that, here's what
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  • Prayer 101 does.
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  • I'm gonna teach you where to pray and i'm gonna teach you why
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  • To pray."
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  • So, let me just be clear: jesus, when we study this message on
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  • Prayer, he's not talking about saying a prayer, he's talking
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  • About praying a prayer.
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  • And there's all the difference in the world.
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  • I really have a lot of fun with people.
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  • I've had people come to me, as you can imagine, all the time,
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  • And they'll tell me about something they're going through
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  • Or some trouble they've got.
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  • And here's what they'll say, "pastor, would you say a prayer
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  • For me?"
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  • I love it when they say that.
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  • "would you say a prayer for me?"
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  • And i love to see the response, i'll say, "no, i won't do that."
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  • "i'm sorry, i don't guess you heard me."
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  • "oh, no, i heard you."
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  • Yeah," okay, so would you say a prayer for "me?
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  • "no, i won't do that."
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  • "you won't say a prayer for me?"
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  • And here's what i say: "i will pray a prayer for you.
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  • I won't say a prayer for you."
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  • Because there's all the difference in the world between
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  • Saying a prayer and praying a prayer.
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  • When you say a prayer, you just talking out loud.
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  • But when you pray a prayer, you're talking to god.
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  • So, here's what we're going to learn in prayer 101, and it is
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  • A head-turner.
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  • You ready?
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  • Prayer is not to get what we want from god, it is to get what
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  • God wants for us.
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  • Prayer is not to get what we want from god, it is to get what
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  • God wants for us.
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  • So, in order to get to the heart of prayer, you gotta pray with
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  • The right heart.
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  • And jesus said, "if you're going to do that, you got to learn
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  • Three things."
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  • Number one: be secretive where you pray.
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  • Be secretive where you pray.
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  • Now again, i told you, "lord, i want you to teach me to pray."
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  • Jesus says, "okay, well, i'm not gonna tell you what to pray yet,
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  • I'm gonna tell you where to pray first.
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  • Then, i'm gonna tell you why to pray."
  • 00:07:07.209 --> 00:07:10.011
  • Because jesus wants to make sure you're praying in the proper
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  • Place for the proper purpose.
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  • Now let me just stop and say something.
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  • You can pray anywhere you wanna pray, you can pray any time you
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  • Wanna pray, you can pray for anyone at any time anywhere you
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  • Want to pray.
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  • But jesus said there's a special place.
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  • There's a place where you can pray, where you can connect with
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  • God, unlike any other place, where you can hear god better
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  • Than anywhere else, where you can experience fellowship with
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  • God unlike any other location.
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  • So he begins, first of all, with this advice.
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  • Listen to what he says, matthew 6, verse 5: "when you pray,"
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  • We'll come back to that in a moment, "when you pray, do not
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  • Be like the hypocrites," he hated hypocrisy, "for they love
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  • To pray," think about that, "they love to pray standing in
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  • The synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.
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  • Truly i tell you, they have received their reward in full."
  • 00:08:07.335 --> 00:08:13.608
  • Now, jesus immediately refers to these--his arch enemies.
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  • They were these ultra-right-wing,
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  • Super-conservative--i mean, they were religious to the
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  • Core--fundamentalist, legalistic pharisees.
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  • And here's what he hated: you know where they did all
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  • Their praying?
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  • They did all their praying in public.
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  • They did all their praying to make sure that people would hear
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  • Them pray.
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  • And they loved to pray in two places: they loved to pray,
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  • Jesus said, on the street corners, and they love to pray
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  • In the synagogue.
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  • They say, "well, why would they do that?"
  • 00:08:48.910 --> 00:08:51.146
  • Their timing was impeccable.
  • 00:08:51.146 --> 00:08:53.081
  • Because if you were a jew back in that day, every afternoon,
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  • Seven days a week, every afternoon, sacrifices would
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  • Be offered.
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  • And so they would blow trumpets.
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  • And whenever they--whenever you heard that trumpet blow, it was
  • 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:06.428
  • Time to pray.
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  • So whenever that trumpet would blow, whatever you were doing,
  • 00:09:07.796 --> 00:09:10.465
  • Wherever you are, you were to stop everything you do--you were
  • 00:09:10.465 --> 00:09:13.268
  • Doing, put everything down you were thinking about, and you
  • 00:09:13.268 --> 00:09:15.870
  • Were to stop and you were to pray.
  • 00:09:15.870 --> 00:09:17.539
  • Well, the pharisees, who loved the spotlight, they loved center
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  • Stage, they realized, "man, this is the best time to strut our
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  • Spiritual stuff.
  • 00:09:27.282 --> 00:09:28.650
  • This is a great way to showcase our spirituality."
  • 00:09:28.650 --> 00:09:31.386
  • So they would time their prayers.
  • 00:09:31.386 --> 00:09:33.254
  • They knew every time when that trumpet was about to blow, and
  • 00:09:33.254 --> 00:09:36.224
  • When that trumpet would blow, they'd be running.
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  • They'd get on that street corner, they'd get in the middle
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  • Of that synagogue, and when the trumpet would blow, they would
  • 00:09:40.929 --> 00:09:43.598
  • Begin to pray, and they would pray loudly enough so everybody
  • 00:09:43.598 --> 00:09:47.235
  • Could hear them pray.
  • 00:09:47.235 --> 00:09:48.703
  • Now, let me stop: jesus was not condemning public prayer.
  • 00:09:48.703 --> 00:09:54.476
  • There's nothing wrong with praying in public.
  • 00:09:54.476 --> 00:09:56.745
  • Matter of fact, when you read the bible, most of the prayers
  • 00:09:56.745 --> 00:09:59.047
  • You read in the bible were prayed in public.
  • 00:09:59.047 --> 00:10:01.282
  • Most of the prayers you pray--that were prayed, were
  • 00:10:01.282 --> 00:10:03.718
  • Prayed before other people.
  • 00:10:03.718 --> 00:10:05.954
  • The problem was not that these pharisees were praying, that
  • 00:10:05.954 --> 00:10:08.957
  • Wasn't the problem.
  • 00:10:08.957 --> 00:10:10.592
  • The problem was they were praying to impress people, they
  • 00:10:10.592 --> 00:10:14.029
  • Were not praying to impress god.
  • 00:10:14.029 --> 00:10:16.331
  • That's why jesus said they loved to pray.
  • 00:10:16.331 --> 00:10:20.435
  • Oh, they loved it, but it wasn't the prayer that they loved.
  • 00:10:20.435 --> 00:10:25.540
  • It wasn't the person they were praying to that they loved.
  • 00:10:25.540 --> 00:10:28.743
  • It was the praise of other people listening to them, that
  • 00:10:28.743 --> 00:10:31.680
  • Was what they loved.
  • 00:10:31.680 --> 00:10:33.081
  • In other words, they were more concerned to be seen by others
  • 00:10:33.081 --> 00:10:39.120
  • Than to be heard by god.
  • 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:41.056
  • They were more concerned to be seen by others than to be heard
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  • By god.
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  • In other words, prayer was the show, and they were the star.
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  • The trumpet blows, they wanted to be the center of attention.
  • 00:10:51.633 --> 00:10:56.237
  • And they were more concerned that the people would praise
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  • Their praying to god than to praise the god that they were
  • 00:11:00.241 --> 00:11:03.545
  • Praying to.
  • 00:11:03.545 --> 00:11:04.913
  • And jesus said it's hypocrisy.
  • 00:11:04.913 --> 00:11:07.348
  • "why do you do that?"
  • 00:11:07.348 --> 00:11:09.017
  • I love the story, i don't think i've ever told it to you.
  • 00:11:09.017 --> 00:11:11.553
  • There was this young lawyer, and he just graduated law school,
  • 00:11:11.553 --> 00:11:15.957
  • Decided he just strike out on his own.
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  • And so he opened up--he rented this office, opened up a brand
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  • New office.
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  • And he got behind his shiny new desk, it was his first day
  • 00:11:21.262 --> 00:11:23.631
  • At work.
  • 00:11:23.631 --> 00:11:24.966
  • He was waiting for his first client to walk through the door.
  • 00:11:24.966 --> 00:11:26.868
  • Well, it wasn't long, he heard some footsteps in the hall and
  • 00:11:26.868 --> 00:11:29.237
  • The door open.
  • 00:11:29.237 --> 00:11:30.605
  • Well, when the door opened, he said, "man, i, you know, i wanna
  • 00:11:30.605 --> 00:11:33.174
  • Look like i'm busy.
  • 00:11:33.174 --> 00:11:34.542
  • I wanna look like i'm already successful."
  • 00:11:34.542 --> 00:11:35.877
  • So he just pretended he was busy.
  • 00:11:35.877 --> 00:11:37.746
  • So when the man walked in, he picked up the telephone that was
  • 00:11:37.746 --> 00:11:40.615
  • On his desk and he began to carry on this fake conversation.
  • 00:11:40.615 --> 00:11:44.219
  • He said, "yes, i'll look at your case.
  • 00:11:44.219 --> 00:11:46.721
  • I'll have my secretary get to it today as soon as i can.
  • 00:11:46.721 --> 00:11:49.324
  • You gotta understand, i've got a very heavy schedule.
  • 00:11:49.324 --> 00:11:52.160
  • I've got clients backed up.
  • 00:11:52.160 --> 00:11:53.795
  • I do appreciate your call, but i'll tell you what, you call me
  • 00:11:53.795 --> 00:11:56.731
  • Back tomorrow at 4 o'clock p.m., i will look at your case.
  • 00:11:56.731 --> 00:11:59.601
  • And if i can, i will take it, but i can't guarantee it because
  • 00:11:59.601 --> 00:12:02.670
  • I'm really super busy."
  • 00:12:02.670 --> 00:12:05.273
  • He hung up the phone, looked at this man that he's hoping would
  • 00:12:05.273 --> 00:12:08.343
  • Be his very first client, and he said, "now, sir, what may i do
  • 00:12:08.343 --> 00:12:11.479
  • For you?"
  • 00:12:11.479 --> 00:12:12.847
  • And the man said, "well, i'm from the telephone company.
  • 00:12:12.847 --> 00:12:14.816
  • I've come to hook up your telephone."
  • 00:12:14.816 --> 00:12:17.152
  • Now, when it comes to your own prayer life, these are some good
  • 00:12:17.152 --> 00:12:23.858
  • Questions you might want to ask yourself, wherever you pray and
  • 00:12:23.858 --> 00:12:27.929
  • However you pray.
  • 00:12:27.929 --> 00:12:29.264
  • So the next time you pray, these are three things you might wanna
  • 00:12:29.264 --> 00:12:31.633
  • Jot down just to remember: first thing you ought to ask yourself
  • 00:12:31.633 --> 00:12:35.136
  • Is this: whose attention am i trying to get?
  • 00:12:35.136 --> 00:12:37.639
  • Who am i really concerned about hearing my prayer?
  • 00:12:40.875 --> 00:12:44.145
  • Number two: who is it that i really want to hear my prayers?
  • 00:12:44.145 --> 00:12:48.716
  • You know what amazes me?
  • 00:12:48.716 --> 00:12:51.119
  • Why would i be concerned about you hearing me pray when you
  • 00:12:51.119 --> 00:12:53.988
  • Can't answer one prayer i'm praying?
  • 00:12:53.988 --> 00:12:57.192
  • I don't care who else hears my prayer, i want him to hear
  • 00:12:57.192 --> 00:12:59.828
  • My prayer.
  • 00:12:59.828 --> 00:13:01.729
  • Third question: why am i praying to begin with?
  • 00:13:01.729 --> 00:13:09.037
  • So, let me just stop and just--and you'll see why i'm
  • 00:13:09.037 --> 00:13:11.139
  • Saying this in a minute--if your number one reason that you pray
  • 00:13:11.139 --> 00:13:16.344
  • Is always because you need something and you want
  • 00:13:16.344 --> 00:13:18.446
  • Something, stop it.
  • 00:13:18.446 --> 00:13:19.781
  • You're wasting your breath.
  • 00:13:19.781 --> 00:13:22.984
  • That's not even what prayer primarily is all about.
  • 00:13:22.984 --> 00:13:26.387
  • So, number one, jesus said, "be secretive where you pray," it's
  • 00:13:26.387 --> 00:13:30.859
  • Not for show.
  • 00:13:30.859 --> 00:13:32.894
  • Number two, be sincere when you pray.
  • 00:13:32.894 --> 00:13:37.532
  • Well, you're gonna pray, be sincere about it.
  • 00:13:37.532 --> 00:13:39.300
  • And jesus very clearly tells us how not to pray and what not
  • 00:13:39.300 --> 00:13:41.936
  • To do.
  • 00:13:41.936 --> 00:13:43.271
  • But then jesus says, "okay, now let me tell you where to pray
  • 00:13:43.271 --> 00:13:45.473
  • And how to pray."
  • 00:13:45.473 --> 00:13:46.808
  • Now watch what jesus says: "but when you pray," second time he
  • 00:13:46.808 --> 00:13:50.245
  • Said that, "but when you pray, go into your room, close the
  • 00:13:50.245 --> 00:13:53.848
  • Door, pray to your father, who is unseen.
  • 00:13:53.848 --> 00:13:55.850
  • Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, he will
  • 00:13:55.850 --> 00:13:59.287
  • Reward you."
  • 00:13:59.287 --> 00:14:00.655
  • Now, first of all, jesus said, "when you pray," not, "if you
  • 00:14:00.655 --> 00:14:06.895
  • Pray," "when you pray."
  • 00:14:06.895 --> 00:14:10.498
  • So jesus just assumed, "if you follow me, you're gonna pray.
  • 00:14:10.498 --> 00:14:16.271
  • If you trust me, you're going to pray.
  • 00:14:16.271 --> 00:14:18.706
  • If you believe in me, you're going to pray.
  • 00:14:18.706 --> 00:14:21.209
  • If you love me, you're going to pray."
  • 00:14:21.209 --> 00:14:23.811
  • I tell you, i was working on this message, and i--this
  • 00:14:23.811 --> 00:14:26.447
  • Thought hit me, i kind of set back in my chair.
  • 00:14:26.447 --> 00:14:29.183
  • I thought, "you know, i think that's true.
  • 00:14:29.183 --> 00:14:30.585
  • I think there are two things that amazes jesus about you
  • 00:14:30.585 --> 00:14:34.289
  • And me."
  • 00:14:34.289 --> 00:14:35.657
  • I think there are two things that just blows him away about
  • 00:14:35.657 --> 00:14:37.759
  • Us, about the average--i'm just talking about the average,
  • 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:40.862
  • Run-of-the-mill, dime-a-dozen follower of jesus.
  • 00:14:40.862 --> 00:14:43.364
  • I think there are two things that just amaze him--he just
  • 00:14:43.364 --> 00:14:48.269
  • Can't believe it.
  • 00:14:48.269 --> 00:14:50.939
  • I think it amazes him, on the one hand, that on average, we
  • 00:14:50.939 --> 00:14:56.945
  • Rarely talk to god.
  • 00:14:56.945 --> 00:15:00.748
  • And i think it amazes him, on the other hand, that we rarely
  • 00:15:00.748 --> 00:15:03.217
  • Talk about god.
  • 00:15:03.217 --> 00:15:06.220
  • And i'll tell you what i've become convinced of: the reason
  • 00:15:06.220 --> 00:15:10.124
  • Why we rarely talk about god is because we rarely talk to god.
  • 00:15:10.124 --> 00:15:14.128
  • Because let me tell you what i've learned in my own prayer
  • 00:15:14.128 --> 00:15:15.730
  • Life: when i'm hitting on all eight cylinders and i'm having a
  • 00:15:15.730 --> 00:15:18.633
  • Great prayer time with the lord and i really get into god--i'm
  • 00:15:18.633 --> 00:15:21.069
  • Gonna talk about that in a moment--you know what i'm
  • 00:15:21.069 --> 00:15:23.237
  • Motivated to do?
  • 00:15:23.237 --> 00:15:24.605
  • To talk about him.
  • 00:15:24.605 --> 00:15:25.940
  • You talk to him, you wanna talk about him.
  • 00:15:25.940 --> 00:15:28.242
  • When i talk to my grandchildren long enough and i'm around my
  • 00:15:28.242 --> 00:15:30.745
  • Grandkids long enough and they just fill my heart with joy,
  • 00:15:30.745 --> 00:15:33.414
  • Guess who i wanna talk about to anybody?
  • 00:15:33.414 --> 00:15:35.416
  • I wanna talk about my grandkids.
  • 00:15:35.416 --> 00:15:38.319
  • When i get with the lord, and i talk to the lord like i did this
  • 00:15:38.319 --> 00:15:40.989
  • Morning, i wanna talk about him.
  • 00:15:40.989 --> 00:15:42.991
  • So maybe, if you don't talk about god much, maybe it's
  • 00:15:42.991 --> 00:15:45.660
  • Because you don't talk to god very much at all.
  • 00:15:45.660 --> 00:15:48.229
  • But notice this: he says, "when you pray, just remember one
  • 00:15:48.229 --> 00:15:50.765
  • Other thing: you're praying to our father.
  • 00:15:50.765 --> 00:15:54.836
  • You're not only praying to the father, you're praying to
  • 00:15:54.836 --> 00:15:57.305
  • Your father."
  • 00:15:57.305 --> 00:15:58.639
  • So here's what jesus assumes: he assumes, number one, you
  • 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:00.842
  • Pray--"when you pray."
  • 00:16:00.842 --> 00:16:02.310
  • He just assumes, "okay, i--you are, you do have a prayer life;
  • 00:16:02.310 --> 00:16:06.981
  • You do pray."
  • 00:16:06.981 --> 00:16:08.783
  • But then he also assumes, "oh, by the way, i'm also assuming
  • 00:16:08.783 --> 00:16:12.920
  • That you're a child of god.
  • 00:16:12.920 --> 00:16:15.857
  • I'm assuming you follow me.
  • 00:16:15.857 --> 00:16:17.925
  • I'm assuming you're a part of the family of god."
  • 00:16:17.925 --> 00:16:20.695
  • If you don't know jesus, you cannot pray to our
  • 00:16:20.695 --> 00:16:23.398
  • Heavenly father.
  • 00:16:23.398 --> 00:16:25.233
  • The buddhist cannot say, "our father."
  • 00:16:25.233 --> 00:16:27.602
  • The muslim cannot say, "our father."
  • 00:16:27.602 --> 00:16:29.637
  • The jew cannot, say, "our father."
  • 00:16:29.637 --> 00:16:32.540
  • Only followers of jesus, only christians can say,
  • 00:16:32.540 --> 00:16:36.210
  • "our father."
  • 00:16:36.210 --> 00:16:37.545
  • So he's assuming not only that you do pray, he's assuming
  • 00:16:37.545 --> 00:16:40.848
  • You've been born into the family of the father.
  • 00:16:40.848 --> 00:16:44.585
  • So, sometimes i'll talk to people and say, you know,
  • 00:16:44.585 --> 00:16:46.888
  • "i just--i struggle with prayer.
  • 00:16:46.888 --> 00:16:48.923
  • I just feel like my prayers are bouncing off the wall,
  • 00:16:48.923 --> 00:16:52.260
  • You know?"
  • 00:16:52.260 --> 00:16:53.628
  • And i--sometimes i'll say, "well, i don't mean to offend
  • 00:16:53.628 --> 00:16:56.030
  • You, but let's just start--let's go back to the fundamentals.
  • 00:16:56.030 --> 00:16:59.300
  • Can i just ask you a question?
  • 00:16:59.300 --> 00:17:00.635
  • Is god your father?"
  • 00:17:00.635 --> 00:17:03.604
  • Maybe the reason why you're not connected with the father is
  • 00:17:03.604 --> 00:17:05.940
  • Because you're not one of his children.
  • 00:17:05.940 --> 00:17:08.676
  • Because the only way you can become one of his children is to
  • 00:17:08.676 --> 00:17:10.678
  • Be born into his family.
  • 00:17:10.678 --> 00:17:12.647
  • And the only way you can be born into his family is by receiving
  • 00:17:12.647 --> 00:17:15.016
  • Jesus christ as your lord and savior.
  • 00:17:15.016 --> 00:17:17.118
  • So if you're having trouble with praying, if you're not a
  • 00:17:17.118 --> 00:17:19.854
  • Follower of jesus, you ought to have trouble with praying
  • 00:17:19.854 --> 00:17:22.223
  • Because your prayers are not going anywhere.
  • 00:17:22.223 --> 00:17:24.358
  • Your prayers cannot get there.
  • 00:17:24.358 --> 00:17:26.561
  • Because every prayer that gets to god--listen to me--every
  • 00:17:26.561 --> 00:17:29.897
  • Prayer that gets to god goes through jesus, every prayer.
  • 00:17:29.897 --> 00:17:35.837
  • If you don't go through jesus, it--there's no detours, it has
  • 00:17:35.837 --> 00:17:39.507
  • To go through jesus.
  • 00:17:39.507 --> 00:17:41.642
  • But having said that, here's the thing i want you to hear: he
  • 00:17:41.642 --> 00:17:45.713
  • Says the best place for the child to talk to the father is
  • 00:17:45.713 --> 00:17:48.816
  • In secret when nobody but the father is listening.
  • 00:17:48.816 --> 00:17:52.820
  • So i want you to hear this next statement: there is no
  • 00:17:52.820 --> 00:17:56.657
  • Substitute, there's no spiritual substitute, there's no emotional
  • 00:17:56.657 --> 00:18:02.163
  • Substitute, there is no mental substitute, there is no physical
  • 00:18:02.163 --> 00:18:06.968
  • Substitute, for you getting alone with god.
  • 00:18:06.968 --> 00:18:11.672
  • Not you and your wife, not you and your husband, not you and
  • 00:18:11.672 --> 00:18:14.041
  • Your kids, not you and the church, just you and god.
  • 00:18:14.041 --> 00:18:18.045
  • I told you last week, this last wednesday, teresa and i
  • 00:18:18.045 --> 00:18:21.315
  • Celebrated our 48th anniversary.
  • 00:18:21.315 --> 00:18:22.650
  • We went out to this real nice restaurant.
  • 00:18:22.650 --> 00:18:25.386
  • And the only thing that bothers me, i always have to pay when we
  • 00:18:25.386 --> 00:18:28.623
  • Go out.
  • 00:18:28.623 --> 00:18:29.957
  • I don't, it's been that way for 48 years,
  • 00:18:29.957 --> 00:18:31.292
  • I don't know how that works out.
  • 00:18:31.292 --> 00:18:32.660
  • We never go dutch, i don't know why that is.
  • 00:18:32.660 --> 00:18:35.796
  • But we were having a nice meal the other night.
  • 00:18:35.796 --> 00:18:38.833
  • We're just talking about--i mean, 48 years, just hard to
  • 00:18:38.833 --> 00:18:41.402
  • Believe they've been by.
  • 00:18:41.402 --> 00:18:45.173
  • And i just--i was telling her that, you know, one of the joys
  • 00:18:45.173 --> 00:18:49.343
  • Of my marriage is i'm not just married to a wife and a
  • 00:18:49.343 --> 00:18:54.215
  • Beautiful--unbelievably, beautiful woman and the sweetest
  • 00:18:54.215 --> 00:18:57.718
  • Thing in the world, she's my best friend.
  • 00:18:57.718 --> 00:19:01.923
  • I'd rather spend time with her than anybody in the world,
  • 00:19:01.923 --> 00:19:03.858
  • Including my grandchild.
  • 00:19:03.858 --> 00:19:05.226
  • I love my grandkids, but i just love being with teresa.
  • 00:19:05.226 --> 00:19:09.964
  • And one of the reasons people ask me, "boy, how do you, how do
  • 00:19:09.964 --> 00:19:12.066
  • You hold a marriage?
  • 00:19:12.066 --> 00:19:13.434
  • How do you--how have you had 48 years?"
  • 00:19:13.434 --> 00:19:16.537
  • Can i tell you the secret?
  • 00:19:16.537 --> 00:19:18.005
  • It's intimacy, and i don't mean just in the bedroom.
  • 00:19:18.005 --> 00:19:21.242
  • There's an intimacy we have.
  • 00:19:21.242 --> 00:19:22.643
  • We spend a lot of time, just the two of us, nobody else.
  • 00:19:22.643 --> 00:19:26.847
  • We're empty nesters, that really helps, of course, but we just
  • 00:19:26.847 --> 00:19:29.617
  • Spend a lot of time alone.
  • 00:19:29.617 --> 00:19:32.787
  • And i've learned something: privacy, fosters sincerity.
  • 00:19:32.787 --> 00:19:38.993
  • When i'm with her and nobody else, and i let her know i don't
  • 00:19:38.993 --> 00:19:43.698
  • Wanna be with anybody else, it lets her know "you really wanna
  • 00:19:43.698 --> 00:19:46.267
  • Be with me."
  • 00:19:46.267 --> 00:19:47.602
  • And see, when you go to that secret place--wherever your
  • 00:19:47.602 --> 00:19:49.637
  • Secret place is--when you go to that secret place and you get
  • 00:19:49.637 --> 00:19:52.206
  • Along with god, you know what you're telling god?
  • 00:19:52.206 --> 00:19:54.242
  • "i want you to know something, i'm serious.
  • 00:19:54.242 --> 00:19:57.645
  • I mean business with you today.
  • 00:19:57.645 --> 00:19:59.847
  • I am sincere.
  • 00:19:59.847 --> 00:20:01.649
  • I'm getting off my cell phone, i'm getting off the computer.
  • 00:20:01.649 --> 00:20:05.052
  • I'm shutting down the ipad.
  • 00:20:05.052 --> 00:20:06.854
  • I'm not looking at my to-do list.
  • 00:20:06.854 --> 00:20:08.489
  • I'm not worried about the phone calls i gotta make.
  • 00:20:08.489 --> 00:20:10.858
  • I just wanna spend time with you."
  • 00:20:10.858 --> 00:20:14.195
  • Because let me tell you something: i know that when you
  • 00:20:14.195 --> 00:20:19.200
  • Pray, you want god's full attention--am i right or wrong?
  • 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:26.907
  • All right, if you want his full attention, give him yours.
  • 00:20:26.907 --> 00:20:33.214
  • If you want his full attention, give him yours.
  • 00:20:33.214 --> 00:20:37.451
  • Because here's the deal about that secret place: when you're
  • 00:20:37.451 --> 00:20:41.555
  • In that secret place--i have a secret place--when you're in
  • 00:20:41.555 --> 00:20:45.092
  • That secret place, nobody's listening, nobody's looking,
  • 00:20:45.092 --> 00:20:48.663
  • It's just you and god, that's it.
  • 00:20:48.663 --> 00:20:51.299
  • That means there's no applause, nobody's clapping, nobody's
  • 00:20:51.299 --> 00:20:57.071
  • Saying, "man, what a great prayer you are."
  • 00:20:57.071 --> 00:21:01.142
  • There's no acclaim, nobody's telling you what a great
  • 00:21:01.142 --> 00:21:04.545
  • Christian you are because of the way you talk to god.
  • 00:21:04.545 --> 00:21:06.480
  • There's no awards, you don't get a plaque, you don't get a
  • 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.517
  • Gold watch.
  • 00:21:09.517 --> 00:21:11.052
  • When you're in that secret place, it's just you and god.
  • 00:21:11.052 --> 00:21:13.921
  • You know what?
  • 00:21:13.921 --> 00:21:15.289
  • That's what god wants more than anything else.
  • 00:21:15.289 --> 00:21:18.893
  • Because can you just imagine this: take your children or
  • 00:21:18.893 --> 00:21:23.698
  • Your grandchildren.
  • 00:21:23.698 --> 00:21:27.902
  • What kind of relationship would you have with your children,
  • 00:21:27.902 --> 00:21:30.805
  • Your grandchildren if the only time they even looked at you or
  • 00:21:30.805 --> 00:21:34.942
  • Talked to you or spent any time with you is because they
  • 00:21:34.942 --> 00:21:37.845
  • Wanted something?
  • 00:21:37.845 --> 00:21:41.782
  • That'll get old pretty quick.
  • 00:21:41.782 --> 00:21:44.685
  • Let me tell you something that's mind-boggling: the creator
  • 00:21:44.685 --> 00:21:47.955
  • Of this universe desires to spend time with you.
  • 00:21:47.955 --> 00:21:51.992
  • He desires just to--just you and him, just alone.
  • 00:21:51.992 --> 00:21:56.497
  • And let me tell you something: when you get into that secret
  • 00:21:56.497 --> 00:21:59.233
  • Place and you let god know, "i'm sincere, i mean business.
  • 00:21:59.233 --> 00:22:02.870
  • I need to share with you, i need to talk to you, and i need to
  • 00:22:02.870 --> 00:22:05.139
  • Hear from you," you immediately bring two things under control
  • 00:22:05.139 --> 00:22:07.908
  • When you do that.
  • 00:22:07.908 --> 00:22:09.243
  • First of all, you bring the clock under control.
  • 00:22:09.243 --> 00:22:12.413
  • Because when you get alone with god, you're saying to him,
  • 00:22:12.413 --> 00:22:14.915
  • "right now, at this moment, there is nothing more important
  • 00:22:14.915 --> 00:22:18.319
  • To me than just spending time with you."
  • 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:21.889
  • And then, you also bring the calendar under control.
  • 00:22:21.889 --> 00:22:24.925
  • Because when you get alone with god and spend time alone with
  • 00:22:24.925 --> 00:22:27.361
  • God, what you're saying to god is, "nothing i do today will be
  • 00:22:27.361 --> 00:22:31.866
  • More important than what i'm doing right now--just spending
  • 00:22:31.866 --> 00:22:34.602
  • Time with you."
  • 00:22:34.602 --> 00:22:35.936
  • So jesus said, "you really wanna learn how to pray?
  • 00:22:35.936 --> 00:22:38.839
  • Okay, be secretive where you pray,
  • 00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:45.613
  • Be sincere in how you pray."
  • 00:22:45.613 --> 00:22:52.987
  • But then he said one last thing: not only be sincere when you
  • 00:22:52.987 --> 00:22:57.124
  • Pray, he says, "be specific in what you pray," be specific.
  • 00:22:57.124 --> 00:23:03.864
  • So jesus goes a step further.
  • 00:23:03.864 --> 00:23:05.966
  • He says, "okay, i'm gonna tell you not only where to pray, i'm
  • 00:23:05.966 --> 00:23:10.638
  • Gonna tell you what to pray.
  • 00:23:10.638 --> 00:23:12.106
  • But before i tell you what to pray, i'm gonna tell you what
  • 00:23:12.106 --> 00:23:14.675
  • Not to pray."
  • 00:23:14.675 --> 00:23:16.210
  • So the next time you pray, just remember: you're praying to a
  • 00:23:16.210 --> 00:23:21.282
  • God who so loved this world, he sent his only son to die for our
  • 00:23:21.282 --> 00:23:25.920
  • Sins, and he brought him back from the grave.
  • 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:29.089
  • And of all the reasons he did that, there's a huge reason we
  • 00:23:29.089 --> 00:23:32.793
  • Forget: he did that so you and i--frail, sinful human
  • 00:23:32.793 --> 00:23:37.665
  • Beings--can go through that risen lord and know every time
  • 00:23:37.665 --> 00:23:41.035
  • We pray through him, we connect.
  • 00:23:41.035 --> 00:23:44.305
  • He hears us, he heeds us, he honors us, he receives our
  • 00:23:44.305 --> 00:23:51.045
  • Prayer, he rewards our prayer.
  • 00:23:51.045 --> 00:23:54.648
  • Because, in the words of john bunyan, "you can do more than
  • 00:23:54.648 --> 00:23:58.853
  • Pray after you pray, but you cannot do more than pray until
  • 00:23:58.853 --> 00:24:04.525
  • You pray."
  • 00:24:04.525 --> 00:24:05.860
  • And all of god's people said, "amen."
  • 00:24:05.860 --> 00:24:10.130
  • Let's pray.
  • 00:24:10.130 --> 00:24:13.234
  • With heads bowed, with eyes closed, i want you to think
  • 00:24:13.234 --> 00:24:16.904
  • About how powerful prayer is--you listening?
  • 00:24:16.904 --> 00:24:20.374
  • You can't even get to heaven without prayer.
  • 00:24:20.374 --> 00:24:23.477
  • You have no chance of getting to heaven without prayer.
  • 00:24:23.477 --> 00:24:28.115
  • I'm going to heaven today.
  • 00:24:28.115 --> 00:24:29.450
  • You know why i'm going to heaven?
  • 00:24:29.450 --> 00:24:31.752
  • Because of a prayer that i prayed as a nine-year-old boy
  • 00:24:31.752 --> 00:24:37.691
  • When i asked jesus christ to come into my heart and save me.
  • 00:24:37.691 --> 00:24:41.896
  • If you will confess with your mouth, "jesus is lord," that's
  • 00:24:41.896 --> 00:24:45.099
  • A prayer.
  • 00:24:45.099 --> 00:24:46.934
  • Believe in your heart that god raised him from the dead, you'll
  • 00:24:46.934 --> 00:24:49.737
  • Be saved.
  • 00:24:49.737 --> 00:24:52.006
  • You know why some of you don't pray, and why some of you find
  • 00:24:52.006 --> 00:24:54.375
  • It hard to pray?
  • 00:24:54.375 --> 00:24:55.709
  • You can't connect.
  • 00:24:55.709 --> 00:24:57.077
  • You know why you can't connect?
  • 00:24:57.077 --> 00:24:58.412
  • You know why you feel like you don't connect?
  • 00:24:58.412 --> 00:24:59.780
  • Because you don't connect, because you don't know the one
  • 00:24:59.780 --> 00:25:02.816
  • That connects you.
  • 00:25:02.816 --> 00:25:06.153
  • The first prayer that god wants to hear you pray, that he'll
  • 00:25:06.153 --> 00:25:08.589
  • Really hear, is a prayer of salvation.
  • 00:25:08.589 --> 00:25:11.525
  • If you're listening to me right now and you're in this room and
  • 00:25:11.525 --> 00:25:15.596
  • You've never received jesus christ as your lord and savior,
  • 00:25:15.596 --> 00:25:18.098
  • I wanna give you the chance and the opportunity to do that.
  • 00:25:18.098 --> 00:25:21.468
  • I want you right now just to pray, not say, pray this prayer:
  • 00:25:21.468 --> 00:25:26.140
  • "lord jesus, i'm a sinner.
  • 00:25:26.140 --> 00:25:30.010
  • I'm lost, and i need a savior, and you're that savior.
  • 00:25:30.010 --> 00:25:35.849
  • I believe you died for my sins.
  • 00:25:35.849 --> 00:25:38.819
  • I believe god raised you from the dead.
  • 00:25:38.819 --> 00:25:41.956
  • I believe you're alive right now.
  • 00:25:41.956 --> 00:25:45.292
  • Lord jesus, come into my heart, save me.
  • 00:25:45.292 --> 00:25:49.163
  • Forgive me of all of my sins.
  • 00:25:49.163 --> 00:25:53.534
  • I receive your gift of eternal life.
  • 00:25:53.534 --> 00:25:57.004
  • I repent of my sin.
  • 00:25:57.004 --> 00:25:59.673
  • I give all that i am to all that you are."
  • 00:25:59.673 --> 00:26:03.177
  • Male announcer: to watch an extended version of today's
  • 00:26:04.445 --> 00:26:06.380
  • Message from dr. james merritt, go to touchinglives.org.
  • 00:26:06.380 --> 00:26:10.250
  • ♪♪♪
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  • Male announcer: around the world, we're experiencing record
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  • Levels of cultural confusion, political tension, and
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  • Christian persecution.
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  • Today, we invite you to partner with "touching lives" with
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  • Dr. james merritt so we can keep broadcasting the truth of god's
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  • Word around the globe.
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  • With your support, we can continue bringing our broadcast
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  • To those who desperately need to hear the message of salvation,
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Announcer: touching the lives of
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  • The lost and enriching the faith
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  • Of the found.
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  • This is "touching lives"
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  • With dr. james merritt.
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  • ♪♪♪
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