David Jeremiah - Prayer: The Great Adventure Interview

August 17, 2025 | S25 E33 | 58:20

In this special interview Dr. Jeremiah and Shelia Walsh discuss how the structure of the Lord’s Prayer gives us guidance as we pray and helps us develop a deeper prayer life.

#inActive #Prayer #Guilt #SeekGod #SpiritualGrowth #RelationshipwithGod #TrustGod #Trials-HardTimes #Grace #Mercy #Offense #Forgiveness

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Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah | David Jeremiah - Prayer: The Great Adventure Interview | August 17, 2025

Male announcer: coming this fall,
00:00:00.850 --> 00:00:02.052
"the promise of heaven," new from dr. david jeremiah.
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Thirty-one short, easy-to-read chapters
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Revealing what god's word says about our eternal home.
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"the promise of heaven" releases october 7.
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Preorder your copy for a gift of any amount.
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Plus, receive exclusive bonus digital access to dr. jeremiah's
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"the promise of heaven" teaching series and study guide.
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Also available for preorder,
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"the promise of heaven" study set.
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For more details and to preorder,
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Contact turning point today.
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Dr. david jeremiah: we are pretty self-sufficient people,
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But that has caused us to make prayer
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Our last resort when we're in trouble.
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We make prayer so difficult.
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Prayer may be mysterious, but it's not complicated.
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It's simple.
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And in this series, i'm going to teach you
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How to transform your prayer life.
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I'm not here to make you feel guilty
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About not praying as much as you should.
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The real issue isn't guilt.
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It's that we're missing out
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On the great adventure god has for us.
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So you want to know why you're not seeing
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Your prayers being answered?
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Well, they're just not specific enough.
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Your prayer should be so specific
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That when god answers it, you recognize it.
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If you want your prayers answered,
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Three things need to be true: the request needs to be right,
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The timing needs to be right, and you need to be right.
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Don't pray like an adult.
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Pray like a child.
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Keep it simple, keep it specific,
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And keep at it.
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God cares about everything in your life,
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Even the little things.
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Nothing is too insignificant to get on your prayer list
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Because god has the capacity to care about every detail
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Of every one of his children, including you.
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What is prayer?
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Prayer is a conversation, prayer is a relationship,
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And prayer is a great adventure.
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♪♪♪
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Dr. jeremiah: thank you for joining us today.
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We are going to talk about something that people are
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Very nervous to talk about.
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And i think that if you want to empty your church out,
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Announce that you're going to do a series on witnessing one month
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And a series on prayer the next,
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And by the time you get to the third month,
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Nobody will be left because everybody feels
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A certain sense of guilt about those two things.
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But we shouldn't feel a sense of guilt.
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We should ask god to teach us to pray.
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That's actually what the disciples
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Asked jesus to do.
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And i find it interesting: they didn't say,
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"teach us how to pray,"
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Although that was part of the answer.
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They said, "lord, teach us to pray."
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And i think that's one of the things
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We all need to learn how to do.
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We're gonna have a very honest discussion
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About prayer today.
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I think i can speak for sheila as i speak for myself.
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Neither one of us consider ourselves
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To be experts on the subject
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Because we feel the same kind of
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"we should be doing better" that you feel.
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But we want to have this honest discussion.
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I've actually written a book on it,
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Just some things that i've learned along the way
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And things that we're going to talk about.
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So it's my privilege to introduce sheila walsh.
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Can we say hi to her?
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[audience applauding]
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Sheila walsh: i am so excited to be here.
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If prayer is so--in fact, the words you use in your book,
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You talk about thrilling, exciting, an adventure.
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Can prayer honestly be thrilling?
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Dr. jeremiah: you know what, sheila, i do believe it is
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Because most of our life is cause and effect.
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We do this and this happens.
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But when we pray, we do this, we pray,
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But we have no idea what god is going to do.
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It's a wide-open scenario, and many times,
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According to the bible, he does more
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Than we could ask or think.
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And so when we enter into that corridor of prayer,
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We are walking in uncertain territory,
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And it's always for the good.
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Sheila: let me ask you just a very basic question.
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If prayer is this great adventure,
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Which i believe, why do we find it so hard?
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Dr. jeremiah: you know, i think part of the reason for that
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Is we're all pretty self-sufficient people.
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We know we should pray, but we can do it ourselves.
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I hear people say things like this,
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You know, "i tried this and i tried that,
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I guess the only thing to do left now is to pray."
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It's their last resort.
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And that says a lot about prayer because it tells us that we
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Are self-centered people and self-sufficient people.
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And sometimes it takes hard things in our lives
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To help us realize that's not true.
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Sheila: yeah, there's a passage of scripture that you call
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A treasure map.
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I love that, that picture of us seeking for treasure.
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It's matthew 7 where it says:
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"ask, and you will be given; seek, and you will find;
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Knock, and the door will be opened."
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How does that guide us in how we pray?
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Dr. jeremiah: the thing about that is it takes prayer
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Out of the philosophical and puts it right down.
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I mean, i joke with people when i say
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When i first read that passage,
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I thought ask was a special word for prayer.
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And i looked it up in the lexicons
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And found out it means ask.
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It's not a word for prayer.
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God is simply saying to us, ask and you will receive.
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Sheila: and one of the things you say,
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Which i just absolutely love,
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You said we should pray like a child.
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What do we miss out on
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When we don't pray like children?
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Dr. jeremiah: well, you know, a child stands
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At the bottom of an escalator
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And doesn't ask any questions about how you use it.
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They just get on it and go upstairs.
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You know, we want to know all the answers.
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We want to know all of the things that are--
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We make prayer, as i said before,
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We make it so difficult.
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Prayer is mysterious, but it is not difficult.
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It is simple.
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It is jesus saying, "ask, and you shall receive;
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Seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you."
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Sheila: pretty straightforward.
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One of the things i love, jesus gave his disciples
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Kind of a roadmap for prayer, the lord's prayer.
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Why do you call it the perfect prayer?
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Dr. jeremiah: well, you know, if somebody asked,
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"who's the greatest teacher on prayer," i would say jesus,
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Because when the disciples said, "teach us to pray,"
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He gave them a prayer.
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And we'll talk a little bit more about that, i'm sure,
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But that prayer wasn't just a mantra
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For us to learn and repeat.
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It was a model prayer.
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It was an outline.
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I actually have a little outline in one of my bibles
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That i made for myself
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With the outline for prayer from the lord's prayer.
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And when we follow that outline,
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It is pretty amazing how broad the subject becomes.
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Sheila: so let's break that down.
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Let's go with the first line,
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"our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."
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It's a beautiful way to begin
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Because it's beginning with praise and worship.
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Dr. jeremiah: well, could i ask you--
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Don't raise your hand, don't poke your neighbor--
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How many of you have prayed prayers
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Where god never even gets mentioned
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'cause you're so full of the requests you have?
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"god, i'm in trouble," and then you list all the things
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And you don't even bring god into the picture.
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Let me tell you what i know about prayer, sheila.
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If you just list your problems
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And leave god out of the picture in your prayer,
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When you get done praying,
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You will be more depressed than you were when you started.
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Because listing your problems doesn't do anything for you.
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You have to bring god into the picture.
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And jesus taught us that the way you pray
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Is you begin by acknowledging god's presence
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And worshiping him and acknowledging
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That he is worthy of our prayers.
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Sheila: the next part of the prayer is,
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"thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth,
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As it is in heaven."
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That is a heart cry for our priorities
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To be god's priorities, don't you think?
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Dr. jeremiah: well, you know, ultimately that prayer
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Will only be answered in the millennium
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When the king comes to the earth
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And puts his will into practice on the earth.
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But between now and then, it is our goal and our desire
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To learn how to live in such a way
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That we please god
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In that what we do is what we would do
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If we could do everything knowing it was right.
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The bible teaches us we're to pray
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For god's priorities to happen in our lives.
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Sheila: what do you do if you're in a situation
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Where you're like,
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I don't know what god's will is in this situation?
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How do you know you're doing what god's will is?
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Dr. jeremiah: god is not hiding his will from you.
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He's not up in heaven saying,
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"i'm not going to let them find out what this is.
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Let them seek--" you know.
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God wants you to know his will.
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That's a good place to start.
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One of the things that happens to us along the way
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Is we get consumed
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With the will of god for our lives
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And we ought to be more consumed
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For what we're going to do tomorrow.
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You know, if we put enough god's will being done today,
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Together, we'll have god's will for our life.
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Sheila: i love, in psalms, you read:
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"your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,"
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And the lamp kind of tells you
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Where to take just the next step.
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I love that.
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If we move on to,
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We started the prayer with praise,
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Then seeking god's priorities.
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The next step is provision, where it talks about,
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"give us this day our daily bread."
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That to me is a clear indication that christ is saying we
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Are dependent on god for everything.
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Dr. jeremiah: that's true.
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Sheila, one of the memorable moments of my life and donna's
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In ministry was when we left a church
00:09:35.424 --> 00:09:38.494
In haddon heights, new jersey, where i was a youth pastor
00:09:38.494 --> 00:09:40.930
And went to fort wayne to start a church.
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And i was so frightened
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And there were seven families there.
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And i remember the day that donna and i
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Drove our car with a u-haul behind it
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And pulled into this driveway
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Where we had purchased a house for $27,000.
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Sheila: whoa, those were the days.
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Dr. jeremiah: tells you how old we are.
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And i told her i was gonna go in
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And make sure the doors were open.
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I went in and i went into the kitchen,
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And there was a big sign on the cabinet.
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To this day, we do not know who put it there.
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And this is what it said:
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"god's commandments are god's enablements."
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God will help you do what he's called you to do.
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And as i've gotten older
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And gained more responsibility for the church
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And what david and cami and donna and i are doing here
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With all of the people that are here, i realize,
00:10:30.046 --> 00:10:32.748
Man, i don't want more than one day.
00:10:32.748 --> 00:10:34.917
One day is enough, man.
00:10:34.917 --> 00:10:36.519
One day is enough to trust god for,
00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:38.354
Because sometimes the challenges are great,
00:10:38.354 --> 00:10:41.791
And you're not capable of taking more--
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You know, god gave us life in days for a reason
00:10:43.659 --> 00:10:46.996
So that we can handle them one day at a time.
00:10:46.996 --> 00:10:49.365
Sheila: i love that, i love that his mercies
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Are new every morning.
00:10:51.233 --> 00:10:53.969
Announcer: we'll be right back with dr. david jeremiah
00:10:55.938 --> 00:10:58.407
And special guest, sheila walsh.
00:10:58.407 --> 00:11:00.409
Announcer: prayer: keep it simple, keep it specific.
00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:06.082
"everything to god in prayer: guided prayers
00:11:06.082 --> 00:11:08.317
For your deepest needs & biggest dreams,"
00:11:08.317 --> 00:11:10.386
By dr. david jeremiah,
00:11:10.386 --> 00:11:11.854
Provides you with 100 carefully crafted prayers
00:11:11.854 --> 00:11:14.256
To guide you through life's challenges and celebrations.
00:11:14.256 --> 00:11:17.526
When words fail you during times of grief;
00:11:17.526 --> 00:11:20.062
When your heart is filled with gratitude,
00:11:20.062 --> 00:11:21.897
But you can't express it;
00:11:21.897 --> 00:11:23.499
When you're facing decisions that seem impossible,
00:11:23.499 --> 00:11:26.268
Dr. jeremiah helps you bring everything to god.
00:11:26.268 --> 00:11:29.004
The bible tells us to go to god in prayer for all things,
00:11:29.004 --> 00:11:32.475
But sometimes we need guidance
00:11:32.475 --> 00:11:33.909
On how to pray effectively and specifically.
00:11:33.909 --> 00:11:36.712
Reading and praying these guided prayers by dr. jeremiah
00:11:36.712 --> 00:11:39.248
Will help you learn to pray with confidence and clarity
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And with renewed passion and purpose.
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Request "everything to god in prayer,"
00:11:45.821 --> 00:11:47.757
New from dr. jeremiah,
00:11:47.757 --> 00:11:49.091
When you give a gift of any amount
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In support of turning point.
00:11:50.426 --> 00:11:52.394
"everything to god in prayer," the perfect companion
00:11:52.394 --> 00:11:55.397
For your prayer life and a thoughtful gift
00:11:55.397 --> 00:11:57.566
For anyone in your bible study or prayer group,
00:11:57.566 --> 00:11:59.869
And you can request two copies for a gift of $60 or more.
00:11:59.869 --> 00:12:03.439
Your deepest needs and biggest dreams
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Deserve the right words.
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Request "everything to god in prayer" by dr. jeremiah,
00:12:07.209 --> 00:12:09.979
From turning point today.
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Announcer: we return to dr. jeremiah
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And sheila walsh's discussion about prayer.
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Sheila: now we move on to the part of the prayer
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That's to do with personal relationships.
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"forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
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You talk in this book very strongly,
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Very compellingly, about the joy of forgiveness.
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So let me ask you a question.
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If somebody really hurts me and i forgive them,
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How does that give me joy?
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Dr. jeremiah: it takes away the burden that you carry
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Of unforgiveness.
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The two verses in the bible, one in matthew and one in mark,
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Where it says if you have offended somebody
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And you're bringing your gift to the altar,
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Go get it right with the person you offended.
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Then if you've been offended by somebody, go get it right
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Because you can't do business with god
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And when you have unsolved issues with one another.
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And the issue there, sheila,
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Is that when you have something like that,
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It's always your turn.
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When you've been offended, it's your turn to get it right.
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If you've offended somebody, it's your turn to get it right.
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You say, "well, i got it right last time."
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Never mind, it's your turn.
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It's always your turn.
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And when we do that, god opens the way.
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Sheila: i have to say that understanding
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The power of forgiveness
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Has been one of the most life-changing things for me
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Because you're right, it sets you free.
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And it's another way of saying, "god, i trust you.
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I'm not going to try and fix this myself, i trust you."
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Dr. jeremiah: that's exactly right.
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Sheila: i met a woman, we were having coffee together
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In just an airport somewhere, we had a layover,
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And she said, "you know, my husband left me
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And went off with a young woman.
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I got him all through college and the minute he's through--"
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And i said, "when did this happen?"
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And she said, "twenty-three years ago."
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And she was caught in this place of being unable to forgive.
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When you don't forgive,
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How does that impact how god forgives us?
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Dr. jeremiah: well, you know,
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There's a lot of confusion in that passage.
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It almost seems to say
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That our relationship with god is dependent
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Upon our relationships with each other.
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And we know that is not true.
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God does not forgive us only if we forgive others.
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The text seems to say that, but if you study it carefully,
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You realize what god is saying is this:
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If you want to come and seek forgiveness,
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You need to make sure
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That you're dealing with an honest hand, you know?
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"god, i want you to forgive me and love me and deal with me,
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But i hate this guy over here and i hate him and--"
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Well, wait a minute, god loves him.
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You see, you got a major problem if you do that.
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And that's what he is saying.
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Deal with me as you want me to deal with you.
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And i believe that's the meaning of the text.
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Sheila: yeah, i think that we struggle sometimes
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With this concept of thinking that, you know,
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We should forgive because jesus forgave us.
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But honestly, that's been
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One of the most liberating things for me.
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I remember as just a young girl in scotland seeing
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A pretty poorly made movie, but about the life of christ.
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And it was when i saw the crucifixion scene,
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And i heard jesus say, "father, forgive them
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For they know not what they do."
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Then you begin to think,
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"why on earth would i ever not forgive?"
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Dr. jeremiah: and that's what the scripture says:
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We are to forgive as god has forgiven us,
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For christ's sake.
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And i say it this way:
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Out of the reservoir of god's forgiveness for you,
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You will always have enough forgiveness
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For anyone who ever hurts you.
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You forgive others out of the realization
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That god has forgiven you.
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In some ways you say,
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"lord, i don't want to forgive this person,
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But i know what i've done and i know
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How unworthy i am to be forgiven,
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And you forgave me.
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In the same way that you forgave me,
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I'm going to forgive this person."
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Sheila: yeah, that's beautiful.
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The next line in the lord's prayer,
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I used to find confusing when i was a teenager,
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'cause we pray: "lead us not into temptation,
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But deliver us from evil."
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Why would we pray that,
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'cause surely god wouldn't lead us into temptation?
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Dr. jeremiah: it's a preemptive prayer,
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It's saying, "lord--" it's kind of a don't do this, but do this.
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Don't lead me into temptation, but deliver me from evil.
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God never tempts anyone to sin.
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He tests us to see
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Whether or not we're willing to follow him,
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But he never tempts anyone to sin.
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The bible's very clear about that.
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And then he says, "and lead us not
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Into temptation, but deliver us,"
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Not from evil, but "from the evil one,"
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From satan, "who goes about as a roaring lion,
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Seeking whom he may devour."
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He's always on the prowl, always after us,
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And we should pray, "lord, don't lead me down that road
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Where he's doing his thing today."
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Sheila: yeah, you talk about there being a connection
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Between trials and temptations.
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What do you mean by that?
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Dr. jeremiah: what was it one man said?
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Your soul and your body live so close together
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That they catch each other's diseases.
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What that means is how many of you know
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When you don't feel good spiritually,
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You don't feel good physically, and vice versa.
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If you're coming through something
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Really, really bad and you've been sick,
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It's hard to be up spiritually when you're sick.
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And you need to be careful
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That you don't let the vulnerability that you have
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When you're physically ill
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Contribute to failure spiritually.
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That's not a good thing.
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You need to ask god for special protection.
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I've been sick a lot this last year,
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More than i ever dreamed i ever would be.
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I know a lot about that.
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I know how hard it is sometimes to act like you feel good
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When you don't feel good, and say,
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"i'm trusting the lord," but in the back of your mind,
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You're saying, "god, where are you?
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I don't want to be like this."
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So there's, you know, there's temptations
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That are in that matrix there.
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Sheila: so can temptation actually be a positive thing
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In the life of a believer?
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Dr. jeremiah: temptation can be positive
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Unless we yield to it.
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If we yield to it, it's always negative.
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You might learn something ultimately at the end of that,
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But there's no reason for temptation to be exalted
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As a way for spiritual growth.
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Testing, yes. temptation, no.
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Sheila: yeah, "for thine is the kingdom,
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The power, and the glory, for ever.
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Amen."
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It seems like there's a pattern there beginning with praise,
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But that's how he ends it.
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Dr. jeremiah: yeah, you know what, i think that's
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One of the lessons we should learn
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About our own prayers.
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Bookend your prayers with praise.
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Start with praise, end with praise.
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Fill the middle of it with provision and protection
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And all the other things.
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Just make sure you go in the front door with praise
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And you go out the back door with praise.
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Put the rest of it in, and if you do that,
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You'll find that to be very helpful.
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Sheila: do you think praying--
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I've found some days in my own life,
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If i'm having a really hard day,
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That praying aloud helps sometimes?
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Dr. jeremiah: yeah, first of all,
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It keeps you from falling asleep.
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I mean, you don't-- you guys are laughing at me,
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But you know what i'm talking about.
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You know, it keeps you alert mentally.
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What a great experience it was for me to go
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To the brooklyn tabernacle
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And be involved in their services
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And hear them all pray.
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They don't just pray one at a time
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When it's time for prayer.
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They all stand up and they all start praying out loud.
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And you feel like you're in this universe
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That you've never been in before,
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Just to hear all these people
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Crying out to god at the same time.
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And it's a really wonderful thing to hear
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All the people of god praying out loud.
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Sheila: yeah, you go on in the book to talk about the fact
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The real lord's prayer is actually found
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In john chapter 17,
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Which you say might be
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One of the greatest chapters in the bible.
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Dr. jeremiah: you cannot read that prayer without realizing
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How much the lord jesus christ loves us.
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I mean, the love of god for us is so borne out in the prayer.
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He prays that god will keep us.
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He prays that god would love us.
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And when you read that prayer, you can't help but be blessed.
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Sheila: i love that last dialogue,
00:20:03.352 --> 00:20:04.953
The whole, those chapters, 14, 15, 16, 17,
00:20:04.953 --> 00:20:08.023
Just some of my favorite passages of scripture.
00:20:08.023 --> 00:20:10.692
The last time we were together,
00:20:10.692 --> 00:20:12.294
You talked about something that i found fascinating
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'cause it's never something i've done.
00:20:14.129 --> 00:20:15.464
You talked about the power of journaling.
00:20:15.464 --> 00:20:17.633
How has that helped you?
00:20:17.633 --> 00:20:19.468
Dr. jeremiah: when i had cancer, i had lymphoma cancer twice,
00:20:19.468 --> 00:20:24.506
And it shut me down for a little while.
00:20:24.506 --> 00:20:26.742
And i remember a godly woman telling me
00:20:26.742 --> 00:20:30.512
That i should journal.
00:20:30.512 --> 00:20:32.948
And i did not know how to do that.
00:20:32.948 --> 00:20:36.318
In fact, the only people that i knew who journaled
00:20:36.318 --> 00:20:40.522
Were mystics and women.
00:20:40.522 --> 00:20:43.692
I'm not kidding you. i'm telling the truth.
00:20:43.692 --> 00:20:45.260
I never knew of a man who journaled.
00:20:45.260 --> 00:20:48.263
And one day i was reading a book by gordon macdonald called
00:20:48.263 --> 00:20:51.700
"the life god blesses," and in that book,
00:20:51.700 --> 00:20:54.002
He talked about journaling in his computer.
00:20:54.002 --> 00:20:56.605
That sounded very masculine to me.
00:20:56.605 --> 00:20:59.574
And i decided, you know, it would be a good idea
00:20:59.574 --> 00:21:02.244
To keep a record of my experiences,
00:21:02.244 --> 00:21:05.147
And i'd probably have that many pages of journaling,
00:21:05.147 --> 00:21:08.116
Which i'm going to shred before i die.
00:21:08.116 --> 00:21:12.387
The journaling thing was really helpful to me
00:21:12.387 --> 00:21:14.890
During that time.
00:21:14.890 --> 00:21:16.458
The way i journal was i
00:21:16.458 --> 00:21:17.793
Would just type out my prayer to god.
00:21:17.793 --> 00:21:20.562
The journal began, "dear lord,
00:21:20.562 --> 00:21:22.898
Yesterday was this way and that way,
00:21:22.898 --> 00:21:24.666
And this is what happened and this is how this worked."
00:21:24.666 --> 00:21:26.668
And then i began to add quotes from books i was reading
00:21:26.668 --> 00:21:30.639
That were helping me spiritually.
00:21:30.639 --> 00:21:32.074
And i put the quotes in there and, most of all, scriptures.
00:21:32.074 --> 00:21:35.477
And then, of course, i was asking god for things.
00:21:35.477 --> 00:21:38.847
One of my great prayers was that god would let me live
00:21:38.847 --> 00:21:42.918
Long enough to see my grandchildren.
00:21:42.918 --> 00:21:47.356
I never even added great-grandchildren.
00:21:47.356 --> 00:21:49.925
I thought that was a little bit--
00:21:49.925 --> 00:21:51.960
The bible says he does more than we would ask or think.
00:21:51.960 --> 00:21:54.363
So he gave me grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
00:21:54.363 --> 00:21:58.667
I have that in my prayer.
00:21:58.667 --> 00:22:01.703
I have that in my journal when i asked it.
00:22:01.703 --> 00:22:04.539
And you know what happens
00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:05.874
When you're going through a dry time?
00:22:05.874 --> 00:22:07.976
You go back and read and you say,
00:22:07.976 --> 00:22:09.444
"you know, god, i can't believe--
00:22:09.444 --> 00:22:10.879
I'd forgotten that you did this for me
00:22:10.879 --> 00:22:12.748
And you did this for me."
00:22:12.748 --> 00:22:14.116
He's always doing something.
00:22:14.116 --> 00:22:16.318
Sheila: that's so true, yeah.
00:22:16.318 --> 00:22:18.253
I decided to do a little research
00:22:18.253 --> 00:22:19.988
And ask people, you know,
00:22:19.988 --> 00:22:21.323
What are some of the questions that you would like to ask
00:22:21.323 --> 00:22:23.425
Dr. jeremiah, particularly on the issue of prayer?
00:22:23.425 --> 00:22:25.427
Somebody asked, "does god listen to us when we pray
00:22:25.427 --> 00:22:27.763
Even when we don't feel like our prayers
00:22:27.763 --> 00:22:29.765
Are going any higher than the bedroom ceiling?"
00:22:29.765 --> 00:22:32.601
Dr. jeremiah: well, just read the command:
00:22:32.601 --> 00:22:33.935
"pray without ceasing,
00:22:33.935 --> 00:22:35.270
Except when you don't feel like your prayers
00:22:35.270 --> 00:22:36.605
Are going out of the room."
00:22:36.605 --> 00:22:38.073
That's not what it says.
00:22:38.073 --> 00:22:40.409
It says: "pray without ceasing.
00:22:40.409 --> 00:22:43.712
Man ought always to pray and not to faint."
00:22:43.712 --> 00:22:47.516
You know, sometimes i think we think that spiritual discipline
00:22:47.516 --> 00:22:52.187
Is a matter of how we feel, you know?
00:22:52.187 --> 00:22:55.323
The bible says: "husbands love your wives."
00:22:55.323 --> 00:22:58.693
You say, "well, i don't feel like it."
00:22:58.693 --> 00:23:00.028
Well, do it anyway
00:23:00.028 --> 00:23:01.363
Because that's what you're supposed to do.
00:23:01.363 --> 00:23:03.231
There are many things in the scripture like that,
00:23:03.231 --> 00:23:05.567
And prayer is certainly one of them.
00:23:05.567 --> 00:23:06.902
Prayer is a responsibility that god has placed upon us,
00:23:06.902 --> 00:23:10.572
Whether we feel like it or not.
00:23:10.572 --> 00:23:11.907
Sheila: yeah, somebody asked, "what should i do when i pray
00:23:11.907 --> 00:23:14.242
And i don't feel anything's happening?"
00:23:14.242 --> 00:23:16.912
Dr. jeremiah: well, i've always said that there's
00:23:16.912 --> 00:23:18.980
More than one answer to prayer, and there's yes,
00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:21.183
There's no, there's wait, and there's grow, you know?
00:23:21.183 --> 00:23:24.352
And god may be testing you.
00:23:24.352 --> 00:23:26.354
I've had many stories, one of my favorite stories
00:23:26.354 --> 00:23:28.824
About my professor in seminary, dr. hendricks,
00:23:28.824 --> 00:23:31.927
Was he prayed
00:23:31.927 --> 00:23:33.695
For his unsaved father for 47 years.
00:23:33.695 --> 00:23:37.532
And he got saved just before he died.
00:23:37.532 --> 00:23:40.535
And i remember him saying,
00:23:40.535 --> 00:23:41.870
"i'm glad i didn't stop at 25 or 27.
00:23:41.870 --> 00:23:44.973
I kept on praying."
00:23:44.973 --> 00:23:46.308
Sheila: a lifetime's not too long to pray.
00:23:46.308 --> 00:23:47.642
Dr. jeremiah: no, that's right.
00:23:47.642 --> 00:23:48.977
Sheila: i want to return to something
00:23:48.977 --> 00:23:50.312
We kind of touched on earlier, and that's unanswered prayer.
00:23:50.312 --> 00:23:53.982
You know, i'm thinking of people
00:23:53.982 --> 00:23:55.317
Who might be watching or here with us
00:23:55.317 --> 00:23:57.118
That they've prayed and prayed about something
00:23:57.118 --> 00:23:59.020
And it's just like they feel like god is not answering.
00:23:59.020 --> 00:24:01.223
What do you do in a place like that?
00:24:01.223 --> 00:24:03.358
Dr. jeremiah: well, you know, i don't have any expectations
00:24:03.358 --> 00:24:07.329
That i can explain god
00:24:07.329 --> 00:24:09.764
And i don't know what he's up to.
00:24:09.764 --> 00:24:12.234
What i know is what i know about him,
00:24:12.234 --> 00:24:14.503
And he's good and gracious and he cares deeply about us,
00:24:14.503 --> 00:24:18.073
And there's no way that god would withhold answers from us
00:24:18.073 --> 00:24:21.810
That he deemed were for our good and for his glory.
00:24:21.810 --> 00:24:25.514
So you keep on praying.
00:24:25.514 --> 00:24:27.015
And you know what, some of our prayers
00:24:27.015 --> 00:24:28.517
May not be answered this side of heaven.
00:24:28.517 --> 00:24:30.619
We may get to heaven
00:24:30.619 --> 00:24:31.953
And we'll be looking at each other,
00:24:31.953 --> 00:24:33.288
"so that's what was all about."
00:24:33.288 --> 00:24:35.690
We may be saying that kind of stuff.
00:24:35.690 --> 00:24:38.894
I just think to keep on praying,
00:24:38.894 --> 00:24:42.230
Even when you don't see the immediate answer,
00:24:42.230 --> 00:24:45.534
Is a testimony to your faith in god and your persistence.
00:24:45.534 --> 00:24:49.404
Sheila: yeah, i remember you telling me
00:24:49.404 --> 00:24:50.939
That when you were at-- with the brooklyn tabernacle,
00:24:50.939 --> 00:24:53.842
That they told you that they had been crying out to god
00:24:53.842 --> 00:24:56.811
For you during your illness.
00:24:56.811 --> 00:24:58.680
Has there been a time in your own life
00:24:58.680 --> 00:25:00.515
When you've cried out to god
00:25:00.515 --> 00:25:01.983
And see him move in a mighty way?
00:25:01.983 --> 00:25:04.553
Dr. jeremiah: well, i'm going to tell you a little story.
00:25:04.553 --> 00:25:06.021
When donna and i started our church
00:25:06.021 --> 00:25:07.589
Back in fort wayne, indiana, with seven couples,
00:25:07.589 --> 00:25:10.725
We had little children and i was working really hard.
00:25:10.725 --> 00:25:14.429
And i was, believe it or not, i started on the radio
00:25:14.429 --> 00:25:17.866
By driving to the radio station and doing the show live
00:25:17.866 --> 00:25:21.469
'cause we couldn't--we didn't have any equipment
00:25:21.469 --> 00:25:23.371
And we couldn't afford any equipment.
00:25:23.371 --> 00:25:24.906
So i'd get in my car every morning.
00:25:24.906 --> 00:25:26.908
I'd go to that radio station, get there by 7:30.
00:25:26.908 --> 00:25:30.011
I had a 15-minute show, and then i'd come home
00:25:30.011 --> 00:25:32.881
And that's when donna and i would sit and talk.
00:25:32.881 --> 00:25:35.517
We had a really nice little house that had
00:25:35.517 --> 00:25:37.686
Kind of a sunken living room in it.
00:25:37.686 --> 00:25:39.688
You know what i mean?
00:25:39.688 --> 00:25:41.022
You kind of walk down in the living room.
00:25:41.022 --> 00:25:42.991
I came home one day, we were talking,
00:25:42.991 --> 00:25:44.859
And all of a sudden she went...
00:25:44.859 --> 00:25:47.395
She reached across her chest like that
00:25:47.395 --> 00:25:49.564
And then she passed out on the floor.
00:25:49.564 --> 00:25:52.367
And i didn't know what to do.
00:25:52.367 --> 00:25:53.802
I tried everything to get her to come to.
00:25:53.802 --> 00:25:55.904
She didn't come to.
00:25:55.904 --> 00:25:57.439
I called 911
00:25:57.439 --> 00:25:58.940
And before the ambulance got there, the sheriff arrived.
00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:02.210
He tried to bring her to.
00:26:02.210 --> 00:26:04.980
And finally they took her away in an ambulance
00:26:04.980 --> 00:26:07.916
And i was there when she went to the hospital.
00:26:07.916 --> 00:26:11.753
They had her for several hours, and finally she recovered.
00:26:11.753 --> 00:26:17.993
They--i don't know what they did.
00:26:17.993 --> 00:26:19.327
They never did tell me exactly what happened to her.
00:26:19.327 --> 00:26:21.963
And i don't know to this day what took place.
00:26:21.963 --> 00:26:24.332
But i'll tell you what, ladies and gentlemen,
00:26:24.332 --> 00:26:26.735
My prayer in that ambulance
00:26:26.735 --> 00:26:28.470
Between my house and the hospital
00:26:28.470 --> 00:26:30.372
Was the most intense prayer i've ever known in my life.
00:26:30.372 --> 00:26:34.476
When we are in need we don't pray,
00:26:34.476 --> 00:26:37.012
We cry out to god, and that's what happened.
00:26:37.012 --> 00:26:40.715
Sheila: that's beautiful, beautiful.
00:26:40.715 --> 00:26:42.951
Will you help me thank dr. jeremiah?
00:26:42.951 --> 00:26:45.387
♪♪♪
00:26:45.387 --> 00:26:52.227
Announcer: thank you for watching "turning point."
00:26:54.229 --> 00:26:56.364
Dr. jeremiah would like to offer you his new book,
00:26:56.364 --> 00:26:58.833
"everything to god in prayer: guided prayers
00:26:58.833 --> 00:27:01.403
For your deepest needs & biggest dreams,"
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Containing 100 carefully crafted prayers
00:27:03.705 --> 00:27:06.174
For life's challenges and celebrations.
00:27:06.174 --> 00:27:08.977
These guided prayers will help you pray with confidence
00:27:08.977 --> 00:27:11.346
And renewed purpose as dr. jeremiah
00:27:11.346 --> 00:27:13.581
Helps you bring everything to god.
00:27:13.581 --> 00:27:16.384
Request "everything to god in prayer,"
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New from dr. jeremiah,
00:27:18.219 --> 00:27:19.688
With your gift of any amount to turning point.
00:27:19.688 --> 00:27:22.190
Or receive two copies for a gift of $60 or more,
00:27:22.190 --> 00:27:25.593
Perfect for your prayer life
00:27:25.593 --> 00:27:27.062
And a thoughtful gift for loved ones.
00:27:27.062 --> 00:27:29.264
Your deepest needs and biggest dreams deserve the right words.
00:27:29.264 --> 00:27:33.368
Request "everything to god in prayer" by dr. jeremiah,
00:27:33.368 --> 00:27:36.604
From turning point today.
00:27:36.604 --> 00:27:39.674
Announcer: if you have never taken the step
00:27:43.712 --> 00:27:45.146
To believe in jesus christ as your lord and savior,
00:27:45.146 --> 00:27:48.183
You can do that today.
00:27:48.183 --> 00:27:50.285
If you will allow us,
00:27:50.285 --> 00:27:51.619
Dr. jeremiah would like to send you
00:27:51.619 --> 00:27:53.288
Two resources that will help you.
00:27:53.288 --> 00:27:55.657
The first is a booklet called "your greatest turning point,"
00:27:55.657 --> 00:27:58.660
Which will help you as you begin your relationship with christ.
00:27:58.660 --> 00:28:02.130
And the second is our monthly devotional magazine,
00:28:02.130 --> 00:28:04.566
"turning points," to give you encouragement and inspiration
00:28:04.566 --> 00:28:07.669
Throughout the year.
00:28:07.669 --> 00:28:09.337
These resources are yours, completely free,
00:28:09.337 --> 00:28:11.673
When you contact turning point today.
00:28:11.673 --> 00:28:14.075
Announcer: if you enjoyed today's message,
00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:19.514
Watch the entire "prayer: the great adventure" series
00:28:19.514 --> 00:28:21.916
From dr. david jeremiah on turningpoint+.
00:28:21.916 --> 00:28:25.553
Start streaming this series today
00:28:25.553 --> 00:28:27.422
Along with more than 1200 messages
00:28:27.422 --> 00:28:29.224
From dr. jeremiah's four decades of broadcast ministry.
00:28:29.224 --> 00:28:32.560
On turningpoint+
00:28:32.560 --> 00:28:33.962
You'll find dr. jeremiah's bible-strong teaching,
00:28:33.962 --> 00:28:36.598
Original programming,
00:28:36.598 --> 00:28:37.932
Plus special collections and playlists,
00:28:37.932 --> 00:28:40.135
All on demand and on any screen.
00:28:40.135 --> 00:28:42.670
Visit turningpointplus.org today.
00:28:42.670 --> 00:28:45.240
Announcer: coming up on "turning point."
00:28:47.842 --> 00:28:50.879
Dr. jeremiah: god is not hiding his will from you.
00:28:50.879 --> 00:28:54.883
He's not up in heaven saying,
00:28:54.883 --> 00:28:56.384
"i'm not gonna let them find out what this is.
00:28:56.384 --> 00:28:57.952
Let them seek--" you know.
00:28:57.952 --> 00:28:59.387
God wants you to know his will.
00:28:59.387 --> 00:29:00.722
That's a good place to start.
00:29:00.722 --> 00:29:02.624
One of the things that happens to us along the way is we
00:29:02.624 --> 00:29:04.926
Get consumed with the will of god for our lives,
00:29:04.926 --> 00:29:08.129
And we ought to be more consumed
00:29:08.129 --> 00:29:10.365
For what we're gonna do tomorrow.
00:29:10.365 --> 00:29:11.866
You know, if we put enough god's will being done today,
00:29:11.866 --> 00:29:15.203
Together, we'll have god's will for our life.
00:29:15.203 --> 00:29:19.007
Announcer: stay tuned for an encore presentation
00:29:19.007 --> 00:29:21.075
Of dr. jeremiah's "prayer: the great adventure" interview
00:29:21.075 --> 00:29:25.613
Here on "turning point."
00:29:25.613 --> 00:29:28.750
Dr. david jeremiah: we are pretty self-sufficient people,
00:29:32.921 --> 00:29:34.889
But that has caused us to make prayer
00:29:34.889 --> 00:29:37.392
Our last resort when we're in trouble.
00:29:37.392 --> 00:29:39.794
We make prayer so difficult.
00:29:41.963 --> 00:29:44.165
Prayer may be mysterious, but it's not complicated.
00:29:44.165 --> 00:29:47.468
It's simple.
00:29:47.468 --> 00:29:49.170
And in this series, i'm going to teach you
00:29:49.170 --> 00:29:51.673
How to transform your prayer life.
00:29:51.673 --> 00:29:57.078
I'm not here to make you feel guilty
00:29:57.078 --> 00:29:59.247
About not praying as much as you should.
00:29:59.247 --> 00:30:01.649
The real issue isn't guilt.
00:30:01.649 --> 00:30:03.451
It's that we're missing out
00:30:03.451 --> 00:30:04.953
On the great adventure god has for us.
00:30:04.953 --> 00:30:09.457
So you want to know why you're not seeing
00:30:09.457 --> 00:30:11.392
Your prayers being answered?
00:30:11.392 --> 00:30:13.228
Well, they're just not specific enough.
00:30:13.228 --> 00:30:16.531
Your prayer should be so specific
00:30:16.531 --> 00:30:18.633
That when god answers it, you recognize it.
00:30:18.633 --> 00:30:21.569
If you want your prayers answered,
00:30:21.569 --> 00:30:23.471
Three things need to be true: the request needs to be right,
00:30:23.471 --> 00:30:28.176
The timing needs to be right, and you need to be right.
00:30:28.176 --> 00:30:33.448
Don't pray like an adult.
00:30:33.448 --> 00:30:35.283
Pray like a child.
00:30:35.283 --> 00:30:36.784
Keep it simple, keep it specific,
00:30:36.784 --> 00:30:39.153
And keep at it.
00:30:39.153 --> 00:30:42.724
God cares about everything in your life,
00:30:42.724 --> 00:30:45.026
Even the little things.
00:30:45.026 --> 00:30:46.794
Nothing is too insignificant to get on your prayer list
00:30:46.794 --> 00:30:49.931
Because god has the capacity to care about every detail
00:30:49.931 --> 00:30:53.001
Of every one of his children, including you.
00:30:53.001 --> 00:30:57.405
What is prayer?
00:30:57.405 --> 00:30:58.940
Prayer is a conversation, prayer is a relationship,
00:30:58.940 --> 00:31:03.244
And prayer is a great adventure.
00:31:03.244 --> 00:31:06.381
♪♪♪
00:31:06.381 --> 00:31:10.718
Dr. jeremiah: thank you for joining us today.
00:31:14.055 --> 00:31:16.124
We are going to talk about something that people are
00:31:16.124 --> 00:31:19.594
Very nervous to talk about.
00:31:19.594 --> 00:31:22.864
And i think that if you want to empty your church out,
00:31:22.864 --> 00:31:25.934
Announce that you're going to do a series on witnessing one month
00:31:25.934 --> 00:31:29.570
And a series on prayer the next,
00:31:29.570 --> 00:31:31.906
And by the time you get to the third month,
00:31:31.906 --> 00:31:33.808
Nobody will be left because everybody feels
00:31:33.808 --> 00:31:37.211
A certain sense of guilt about those two things.
00:31:37.211 --> 00:31:40.248
But we shouldn't feel a sense of guilt.
00:31:40.248 --> 00:31:42.417
We should ask god to teach us to pray.
00:31:42.417 --> 00:31:45.386
That's actually what the disciples
00:31:45.386 --> 00:31:46.888
Asked jesus to do.
00:31:46.888 --> 00:31:48.623
And i find it interesting: they didn't say,
00:31:48.623 --> 00:31:50.992
"teach us how to pray,"
00:31:50.992 --> 00:31:53.728
Although that was part of the answer.
00:31:53.728 --> 00:31:55.863
They said, "lord, teach us to pray."
00:31:55.863 --> 00:31:58.967
And i think that's one of the things
00:31:58.967 --> 00:32:00.401
We all need to learn how to do.
00:32:00.401 --> 00:32:02.337
We're gonna have a very honest discussion
00:32:02.337 --> 00:32:04.672
About prayer today.
00:32:04.672 --> 00:32:06.474
I think i can speak for sheila as i speak for myself.
00:32:06.474 --> 00:32:09.510
Neither one of us consider ourselves
00:32:09.510 --> 00:32:11.679
To be experts on the subject
00:32:11.679 --> 00:32:14.349
Because we feel the same kind of
00:32:14.349 --> 00:32:16.784
"we should be doing better" that you feel.
00:32:16.784 --> 00:32:19.687
But we want to have this honest discussion.
00:32:19.687 --> 00:32:21.389
I've actually written a book on it,
00:32:21.389 --> 00:32:22.724
Just some things that i've learned along the way
00:32:22.724 --> 00:32:24.726
And things that we're going to talk about.
00:32:24.726 --> 00:32:26.394
So it's my privilege to introduce sheila walsh.
00:32:26.394 --> 00:32:29.163
Can we say hi to her?
00:32:29.163 --> 00:32:30.565
[audience applauding]
00:32:30.565 --> 00:32:36.104
Sheila walsh: i am so excited to be here.
00:32:36.104 --> 00:32:38.373
If prayer is so--in fact, the words you use in your book,
00:32:38.373 --> 00:32:42.410
You talk about thrilling, exciting, an adventure.
00:32:42.410 --> 00:32:46.347
Can prayer honestly be thrilling?
00:32:46.347 --> 00:32:49.317
Dr. jeremiah: you know what, sheila, i do believe it is
00:32:49.317 --> 00:32:51.185
Because most of our life is cause and effect.
00:32:51.185 --> 00:32:54.655
We do this and this happens.
00:32:54.655 --> 00:32:56.858
But when we pray, we do this, we pray,
00:32:56.858 --> 00:33:00.495
But we have no idea what god is going to do.
00:33:00.495 --> 00:33:02.764
It's a wide-open scenario, and many times,
00:33:02.764 --> 00:33:05.266
According to the bible, he does more
00:33:05.266 --> 00:33:07.668
Than we could ask or think.
00:33:07.668 --> 00:33:09.470
And so when we enter into that corridor of prayer,
00:33:09.470 --> 00:33:12.306
We are walking in uncertain territory,
00:33:12.306 --> 00:33:14.308
And it's always for the good.
00:33:14.308 --> 00:33:16.010
Sheila: let me ask you just a very basic question.
00:33:16.010 --> 00:33:18.379
If prayer is this great adventure,
00:33:18.379 --> 00:33:20.048
Which i believe, why do we find it so hard?
00:33:20.048 --> 00:33:23.217
Dr. jeremiah: you know, i think part of the reason for that
00:33:23.217 --> 00:33:25.286
Is we're all pretty self-sufficient people.
00:33:25.286 --> 00:33:29.390
We know we should pray, but we can do it ourselves.
00:33:29.390 --> 00:33:32.927
I hear people say things like this,
00:33:32.927 --> 00:33:34.462
You know, "i tried this and i tried that,
00:33:34.462 --> 00:33:35.797
I guess the only thing to do left now is to pray."
00:33:35.797 --> 00:33:38.466
It's their last resort.
00:33:38.466 --> 00:33:40.068
And that says a lot about prayer because it tells us that we
00:33:40.068 --> 00:33:44.105
Are self-centered people and self-sufficient people.
00:33:44.105 --> 00:33:47.642
And sometimes it takes hard things in our lives
00:33:47.642 --> 00:33:50.912
To help us realize that's not true.
00:33:50.912 --> 00:33:52.780
Sheila: yeah, there's a passage of scripture that you call
00:33:52.780 --> 00:33:56.250
A treasure map.
00:33:56.250 --> 00:33:57.852
I love that, that picture of us seeking for treasure.
00:33:57.852 --> 00:34:00.288
It's matthew 7 where it says:
00:34:00.288 --> 00:34:01.956
"ask, and you will be given; seek, and you will find;
00:34:01.956 --> 00:34:04.926
Knock, and the door will be opened."
00:34:04.926 --> 00:34:07.395
How does that guide us in how we pray?
00:34:07.395 --> 00:34:10.431
Dr. jeremiah: the thing about that is it takes prayer
00:34:10.431 --> 00:34:13.134
Out of the philosophical and puts it right down.
00:34:13.134 --> 00:34:16.104
I mean, i joke with people when i say
00:34:16.104 --> 00:34:17.872
When i first read that passage,
00:34:17.872 --> 00:34:19.207
I thought ask was a special word for prayer.
00:34:19.207 --> 00:34:23.044
And i looked it up in the lexicons
00:34:23.044 --> 00:34:24.679
And found out it means ask.
00:34:24.679 --> 00:34:28.116
It's not a word for prayer.
00:34:28.116 --> 00:34:29.951
God is simply saying to us, ask and you will receive.
00:34:29.951 --> 00:34:34.222
Sheila: jesus gave his disciples kind of a roadmap for prayer,
00:34:34.222 --> 00:34:37.291
The lord's prayer.
00:34:37.291 --> 00:34:38.860
Why do you call it the perfect prayer?
00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:42.463
Dr. jeremiah: well, you know, if somebody asked,
00:34:42.463 --> 00:34:45.266
"who's the greatest teacher on prayer," i would say jesus,
00:34:45.266 --> 00:34:48.503
Because when the disciples said, "teach us to pray,"
00:34:48.503 --> 00:34:50.972
He gave them a prayer.
00:34:50.972 --> 00:34:52.607
And we'll talk a little bit more about that, i'm sure,
00:34:52.607 --> 00:34:55.076
But that prayer wasn't just a mantra
00:34:55.076 --> 00:34:57.445
For us to learn and repeat.
00:34:57.445 --> 00:34:58.980
It was a model prayer.
00:34:58.980 --> 00:35:01.048
It was an outline.
00:35:01.048 --> 00:35:02.383
I actually have a little outline in one of my bibles
00:35:02.383 --> 00:35:05.486
That i made for myself
00:35:05.486 --> 00:35:06.921
With the outline for prayer from the lord's prayer.
00:35:06.921 --> 00:35:10.191
And when we follow that outline,
00:35:10.191 --> 00:35:11.926
It is pretty amazing how broad the subject becomes.
00:35:11.926 --> 00:35:15.930
Sheila: so let's break that down.
00:35:15.930 --> 00:35:17.265
Let's go with the first line,
00:35:17.265 --> 00:35:18.599
"our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."
00:35:18.599 --> 00:35:23.271
It's a beautiful way to begin
00:35:23.271 --> 00:35:24.605
Because it's beginning with praise and worship.
00:35:24.605 --> 00:35:26.274
Dr. jeremiah: mm-hmm, let me tell you
00:35:26.274 --> 00:35:27.608
What i know about prayer, sheila.
00:35:27.608 --> 00:35:28.943
If you just list your problems
00:35:28.943 --> 00:35:30.778
And leave god out of the picture in your prayer,
00:35:30.778 --> 00:35:33.181
When you get done praying,
00:35:33.181 --> 00:35:34.682
You will be more depressed than you were when you started.
00:35:34.682 --> 00:35:38.085
Because listing your problems doesn't do anything for you.
00:35:38.085 --> 00:35:42.056
You have to bring god into the picture.
00:35:42.056 --> 00:35:44.091
And jesus taught us that the way you pray
00:35:44.091 --> 00:35:47.028
Is you begin by acknowledging god's presence
00:35:47.028 --> 00:35:49.964
And worshiping him and acknowledging
00:35:49.964 --> 00:35:52.433
That he is worthy of our prayers.
00:35:52.433 --> 00:35:55.336
Sheila: the next part of the prayer is,
00:35:55.336 --> 00:35:57.205
"thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth,
00:35:57.205 --> 00:36:00.308
As it is in heaven."
00:36:00.308 --> 00:36:02.210
That is a heart cry for our priorities
00:36:02.210 --> 00:36:04.845
To be god's priorities, don't you think?
00:36:04.845 --> 00:36:06.948
Dr. jeremiah: well, you know, ultimately that prayer
00:36:06.948 --> 00:36:08.382
Will only be answered in the millennium
00:36:08.382 --> 00:36:10.084
When the king comes to the earth
00:36:10.084 --> 00:36:11.519
And puts his will into practice on the earth.
00:36:11.519 --> 00:36:14.355
But between now and then, it is our goal and our desire
00:36:14.355 --> 00:36:18.426
To learn how to live in such a way
00:36:18.426 --> 00:36:21.095
That we please god
00:36:21.095 --> 00:36:22.430
In that what we do is what we would do
00:36:22.430 --> 00:36:26.000
If we could do everything knowing it was right.
00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:28.669
The bible teaches us we're to pray
00:36:28.669 --> 00:36:30.905
For god's priorities to happen in our lives.
00:36:30.905 --> 00:36:34.542
Sheila: what do you do if you're in a situation
00:36:34.542 --> 00:36:35.876
Where you're like,
00:36:35.876 --> 00:36:37.211
I don't know what god's will is in this situation?
00:36:37.211 --> 00:36:38.879
How do you know you're doing what god's will is?
00:36:38.879 --> 00:36:41.916
Dr. jeremiah: god is not hiding his will from you.
00:36:41.916 --> 00:36:45.820
He's not up in heaven saying,
00:36:45.820 --> 00:36:47.321
"i'm not going to let them find out what this is.
00:36:47.321 --> 00:36:48.956
Let them seek--" you know.
00:36:48.956 --> 00:36:50.391
God wants you to know his will.
00:36:50.391 --> 00:36:51.726
That's a good place to start.
00:36:51.726 --> 00:36:53.661
One of the things that happens to us along the way
00:36:53.661 --> 00:36:55.563
Is we get consumed
00:36:55.563 --> 00:36:56.897
With the will of god for our lives
00:36:56.897 --> 00:36:59.066
And we ought to be more consumed
00:36:59.066 --> 00:37:01.335
For what we're going to do tomorrow.
00:37:01.335 --> 00:37:03.104
You know, if we put enough god's will being done today,
00:37:03.104 --> 00:37:06.207
Together, we'll have god's will for our life.
00:37:06.207 --> 00:37:08.943
Sheila: i love, in psalms, you read:
00:37:08.943 --> 00:37:10.611
"your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,"
00:37:10.611 --> 00:37:14.448
And the lamp kind of tells you
00:37:14.448 --> 00:37:15.816
Where to take just the next step.
00:37:15.816 --> 00:37:18.119
I love that.
00:37:18.119 --> 00:37:19.520
If we move on to,
00:37:19.520 --> 00:37:20.855
We started the prayer with praise,
00:37:20.855 --> 00:37:22.723
Then seeking god's priorities.
00:37:22.723 --> 00:37:24.859
The next step is provision, where it talks about,
00:37:24.859 --> 00:37:27.228
"give us this day our daily bread."
00:37:27.228 --> 00:37:30.464
That to me is a clear indication that christ is saying we
00:37:30.464 --> 00:37:33.200
Are dependent on god for everything.
00:37:33.200 --> 00:37:35.603
Dr. jeremiah: that's true.
00:37:35.603 --> 00:37:36.937
And we should always remember that whatever we need,
00:37:36.937 --> 00:37:40.508
If it's in the will of god, he has it
00:37:40.508 --> 00:37:42.343
And he's promised to provide it for us.
00:37:42.343 --> 00:37:45.046
Sheila, one of the memorable moments of my life and donna's
00:37:45.046 --> 00:37:49.717
In ministry was when we left a church
00:37:49.717 --> 00:37:52.787
In haddon heights, new jersey, where i was a youth pastor
00:37:52.787 --> 00:37:55.222
And went to fort wayne to start a church.
00:37:55.222 --> 00:37:57.825
And i was so frightened
00:37:57.825 --> 00:37:59.327
And there were seven families there.
00:37:59.327 --> 00:38:01.462
And i remember the day that donna and i
00:38:01.462 --> 00:38:03.631
Drove our car with a u-haul behind it
00:38:03.631 --> 00:38:06.033
And pulled into this driveway
00:38:06.033 --> 00:38:07.368
Where we had purchased a house for $27,000.
00:38:07.368 --> 00:38:12.573
Sheila: whoa, those were the days.
00:38:12.573 --> 00:38:14.308
Dr. jeremiah: tells you how old we are.
00:38:14.308 --> 00:38:17.211
And i told her i was gonna go in
00:38:17.211 --> 00:38:18.979
And make sure the doors were open.
00:38:18.979 --> 00:38:20.314
I went in and i went into the kitchen,
00:38:20.314 --> 00:38:22.817
And there was a big sign on the cabinet.
00:38:22.817 --> 00:38:24.985
To this day, we do not know who put it there.
00:38:24.985 --> 00:38:27.355
And this is what it said:
00:38:27.355 --> 00:38:29.090
"god's commandments are god's enablements."
00:38:29.090 --> 00:38:32.993
God will help you do what he's called you to do.
00:38:32.993 --> 00:38:35.996
And as i've gotten older
00:38:35.996 --> 00:38:37.331
And gained more responsibility for the church
00:38:37.331 --> 00:38:40.167
And what david and cami and donna and i are doing here
00:38:40.167 --> 00:38:44.338
With all of the people that are here, i realize,
00:38:44.338 --> 00:38:47.041
Man, i don't want more than one day.
00:38:47.041 --> 00:38:49.210
One day is enough, man.
00:38:49.210 --> 00:38:50.811
One day is enough to trust god for,
00:38:50.811 --> 00:38:52.646
Because sometimes the challenges are great,
00:38:52.646 --> 00:38:56.083
And you're not capable of taking more--
00:38:56.083 --> 00:38:57.952
You know, god gave us life in days for a reason
00:38:57.952 --> 00:39:01.288
So that we can handle them one day at a time.
00:39:01.288 --> 00:39:03.657
Sheila: i love that, i love that his mercies
00:39:03.657 --> 00:39:05.526
Are new every morning.
00:39:05.526 --> 00:39:08.262
Announcer: we'll be right back with dr. david jeremiah
00:39:10.231 --> 00:39:12.700
And special guest, sheila walsh.
00:39:12.700 --> 00:39:14.702
Announcer: prayer: keep it simple, keep it specific.
00:39:17.571 --> 00:39:20.374
"everything to god in prayer: guided prayers
00:39:20.374 --> 00:39:22.610
For your deepest needs & biggest dreams,"
00:39:22.610 --> 00:39:24.678
By dr. david jeremiah,
00:39:24.678 --> 00:39:26.147
Provides you with 100 carefully crafted prayers
00:39:26.147 --> 00:39:28.549
To guide you through life's challenges and celebrations.
00:39:28.549 --> 00:39:31.819
When words fail you during times of grief;
00:39:31.819 --> 00:39:34.355
When your heart is filled with gratitude,
00:39:34.355 --> 00:39:36.190
But you can't express it;
00:39:36.190 --> 00:39:37.792
When you're facing decisions that seem impossible,
00:39:37.792 --> 00:39:40.561
Dr. jeremiah helps you bring everything to god.
00:39:40.561 --> 00:39:43.297
The bible tells us to go to god in prayer for all things,
00:39:43.297 --> 00:39:46.767
But sometimes we need guidance
00:39:46.767 --> 00:39:48.202
On how to pray effectively and specifically.
00:39:48.202 --> 00:39:51.005
Reading and praying these guided prayers by dr. jeremiah
00:39:51.005 --> 00:39:53.541
Will help you learn to pray with confidence and clarity
00:39:53.541 --> 00:39:56.844
And with renewed passion and purpose.
00:39:56.844 --> 00:40:00.114
Request "everything to god in prayer,"
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New from dr. jeremiah,
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When you give a gift of any amount
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In support of turning point.
00:40:04.718 --> 00:40:06.687
"everything to god in prayer," the perfect companion
00:40:06.687 --> 00:40:09.690
For your prayer life and a thoughtful gift
00:40:09.690 --> 00:40:11.859
For anyone in your bible study or prayer group,
00:40:11.859 --> 00:40:14.161
And you can request two copies for a gift of $60 or more.
00:40:14.161 --> 00:40:17.731
Your deepest needs and biggest dreams
00:40:17.731 --> 00:40:19.567
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00:40:19.567 --> 00:40:21.502
Request "everything to god in prayer" by dr. jeremiah,
00:40:21.502 --> 00:40:24.271
From turning point today.
00:40:24.271 --> 00:40:26.307
Announcer: we return to dr. jeremiah
00:40:27.741 --> 00:40:29.443
And sheila walsh's discussion about prayer.
00:40:29.443 --> 00:40:33.314
Sheila: now we move on to the part of the prayer
00:40:33.314 --> 00:40:34.882
That's to do with personal relationships.
00:40:34.882 --> 00:40:36.717
"forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
00:40:36.717 --> 00:40:39.720
You talk in this book very strongly,
00:40:39.720 --> 00:40:41.856
Very compellingly, about the joy of forgiveness.
00:40:41.856 --> 00:40:45.493
So let me ask you a question.
00:40:45.493 --> 00:40:46.827
If somebody really hurts me and i forgive them,
00:40:46.827 --> 00:40:50.464
How does that give me joy?
00:40:50.464 --> 00:40:52.967
Dr. jeremiah: it takes away the burden that you carry
00:40:52.967 --> 00:40:56.704
Of unforgiveness.
00:40:56.704 --> 00:40:58.739
The two verses in the bible, one in matthew and one in mark,
00:40:58.739 --> 00:41:02.076
Where it says if you have offended somebody
00:41:02.076 --> 00:41:05.179
And you're bringing your gift to the altar,
00:41:05.179 --> 00:41:07.281
Go get it right with the person you offended.
00:41:07.281 --> 00:41:09.850
Then if you've been offended by somebody, go get it right
00:41:09.850 --> 00:41:13.521
Because you can't do business with god
00:41:13.521 --> 00:41:15.489
And when you have unsolved issues with one another.
00:41:15.489 --> 00:41:18.926
And the issue there, sheila,
00:41:18.926 --> 00:41:21.028
Is that when you have something like that,
00:41:21.028 --> 00:41:22.830
It's always your turn.
00:41:22.830 --> 00:41:24.164
When you've been offended, it's your turn to get it right.
00:41:24.164 --> 00:41:26.400
If you've offended somebody, it's your turn to get it right.
00:41:26.400 --> 00:41:29.470
You say, "well, i got it right last time."
00:41:29.470 --> 00:41:31.171
Never mind, it's your turn.
00:41:31.171 --> 00:41:33.173
It's always your turn.
00:41:33.173 --> 00:41:34.909
And when we do that, god opens the way.
00:41:34.909 --> 00:41:38.612
Sheila: i have to say that understanding
00:41:38.612 --> 00:41:40.014
The power of forgiveness
00:41:40.014 --> 00:41:41.348
Has been one of the most life-changing things for me
00:41:41.348 --> 00:41:44.184
Because you're right, it sets you free.
00:41:44.184 --> 00:41:45.786
And it's another way of saying, "god, i trust you.
00:41:45.786 --> 00:41:48.355
I'm not going to try and fix this myself, i trust you."
00:41:48.355 --> 00:41:50.758
Dr. jeremiah: that's exactly right.
00:41:50.758 --> 00:41:52.259
Sheila: i met a woman, we were having coffee together
00:41:52.259 --> 00:41:54.161
In just an airport somewhere, we had a layover,
00:41:54.161 --> 00:41:57.231
And she said, "you know, my husband left me
00:41:57.231 --> 00:42:00.000
And went off with a young woman.
00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:01.602
I got him all through college and the minute he's through--"
00:42:01.602 --> 00:42:03.904
And i said, "when did this happen?"
00:42:03.904 --> 00:42:05.239
And she said, "twenty-three years ago."
00:42:05.239 --> 00:42:07.675
And she was caught in this place of being unable to forgive.
00:42:07.675 --> 00:42:12.379
When you don't forgive,
00:42:12.379 --> 00:42:14.481
How does that impact how god forgives us?
00:42:14.481 --> 00:42:16.884
Dr. jeremiah: well, you know,
00:42:16.884 --> 00:42:18.218
There's a lot of confusion in that passage.
00:42:18.218 --> 00:42:19.553
It almost seems to say
00:42:19.553 --> 00:42:21.121
That our relationship with god is dependent
00:42:21.121 --> 00:42:23.791
Upon our relationships with each other.
00:42:23.791 --> 00:42:25.759
And we know that is not true.
00:42:25.759 --> 00:42:27.661
God does not forgive us only if we forgive others.
00:42:27.661 --> 00:42:31.799
The text seems to say that, but if you study it carefully,
00:42:31.799 --> 00:42:34.802
You realize what god is saying is this:
00:42:34.802 --> 00:42:37.304
If you want to come and seek forgiveness,
00:42:37.304 --> 00:42:41.041
You need to make sure
00:42:41.041 --> 00:42:42.409
That you're dealing with an honest hand, you know?
00:42:42.409 --> 00:42:46.380
"god, i want you to forgive me and love me and deal with me,
00:42:46.380 --> 00:42:49.283
But i hate this guy over here and i hate him and--"
00:42:49.283 --> 00:42:52.886
Well, wait a minute, god loves him.
00:42:52.886 --> 00:42:55.389
You see, you got a major problem if you do that.
00:42:55.389 --> 00:42:57.725
And that's what he is saying.
00:42:57.725 --> 00:42:59.460
Deal with me as you want me to deal with you.
00:42:59.460 --> 00:43:02.062
And i believe that's the meaning of the text.
00:43:02.062 --> 00:43:04.465
Sheila: yeah, i think that we struggle sometimes
00:43:04.465 --> 00:43:06.767
With this concept of thinking that, you know,
00:43:06.767 --> 00:43:09.703
We should forgive because jesus forgave us.
00:43:09.703 --> 00:43:12.172
But honestly, that's been
00:43:12.172 --> 00:43:13.507
One of the most liberating things for me.
00:43:13.507 --> 00:43:15.042
I remember as just a young girl in scotland seeing
00:43:15.042 --> 00:43:17.845
A pretty poorly made movie, but about the life of christ.
00:43:17.845 --> 00:43:21.715
And it was when i saw the crucifixion scene,
00:43:21.715 --> 00:43:24.284
And i heard jesus say, "father, forgive them
00:43:24.284 --> 00:43:26.120
For they know not what they do."
00:43:26.120 --> 00:43:27.955
Then you begin to think,
00:43:27.955 --> 00:43:29.289
"why on earth would i ever not forgive?"
00:43:29.289 --> 00:43:32.092
Dr. jeremiah: and that's what the scripture says:
00:43:32.092 --> 00:43:33.427
We are to forgive as god has forgiven us,
00:43:33.427 --> 00:43:35.496
For christ's sake.
00:43:35.496 --> 00:43:37.131
And i say it this way:
00:43:37.131 --> 00:43:39.266
Out of the reservoir of god's forgiveness for you,
00:43:39.266 --> 00:43:42.836
You will always have enough forgiveness
00:43:42.836 --> 00:43:45.305
For anyone who ever hurts you.
00:43:45.305 --> 00:43:48.542
You forgive others out of the realization
00:43:48.542 --> 00:43:52.046
That god has forgiven you.
00:43:52.046 --> 00:43:53.480
In some ways you say,
00:43:53.480 --> 00:43:54.815
"lord, i don't want to forgive this person,
00:43:54.815 --> 00:43:56.417
But i know what i've done and i know
00:43:56.417 --> 00:43:58.952
How unworthy i am to be forgiven,
00:43:58.952 --> 00:44:01.288
And you forgave me.
00:44:01.288 --> 00:44:02.856
In the same way that you forgave me,
00:44:02.856 --> 00:44:05.192
I'm going to forgive this person."
00:44:05.192 --> 00:44:06.794
Sheila: yeah, that's beautiful.
00:44:06.794 --> 00:44:08.328
The next line in the lord's prayer,
00:44:10.964 --> 00:44:12.866
I used to find confusing when i was a teenager,
00:44:12.866 --> 00:44:15.202
'cause we pray: "lead us not into temptation,
00:44:15.202 --> 00:44:17.504
But deliver us from evil."
00:44:17.504 --> 00:44:18.839
Why would we pray that,
00:44:18.839 --> 00:44:20.174
'cause surely god wouldn't lead us into temptation?
00:44:20.174 --> 00:44:22.643
Dr. jeremiah: it's a preemptive prayer,
00:44:22.643 --> 00:44:24.178
It's saying, "lord--" it's kind of a don't do this, but do this.
00:44:24.178 --> 00:44:28.148
Don't lead me into temptation, but deliver me from evil.
00:44:28.148 --> 00:44:31.618
God never tempts anyone to sin.
00:44:31.618 --> 00:44:34.354
He tests us to see
00:44:34.354 --> 00:44:36.390
Whether or not we're willing to follow him,
00:44:36.390 --> 00:44:39.026
But he never tempts anyone to sin.
00:44:39.026 --> 00:44:40.627
The bible's very clear about that.
00:44:40.627 --> 00:44:42.696
And then he says, "and lead us not
00:44:42.696 --> 00:44:44.832
Into temptation, but deliver us,"
00:44:44.832 --> 00:44:46.600
Not from evil, but "from the evil one,"
00:44:46.600 --> 00:44:49.636
From satan, "who goes about as a roaring lion,
00:44:49.636 --> 00:44:52.239
Seeking whom he may devour."
00:44:52.239 --> 00:44:54.374
He's always on the prowl, always after us,
00:44:54.374 --> 00:44:57.010
And we should pray, "lord, don't lead me down that road
00:44:57.010 --> 00:44:59.813
Where he's doing his thing today."
00:44:59.813 --> 00:45:01.682
Sheila: yeah, "for thine is the kingdom,
00:45:01.682 --> 00:45:04.017
The power, and the glory, for ever.
00:45:04.017 --> 00:45:06.286
Amen."
00:45:06.286 --> 00:45:07.621
It seems like there's a pattern there beginning with praise,
00:45:07.621 --> 00:45:10.791
But that's how he ends it.
00:45:10.791 --> 00:45:12.159
Dr. jeremiah: yeah, you know what, i think that's
00:45:12.159 --> 00:45:13.494
One of the lessons we should learn
00:45:13.494 --> 00:45:14.828
About our own prayers.
00:45:14.828 --> 00:45:16.163
Bookend your prayers with praise.
00:45:16.163 --> 00:45:18.799
Start with praise, end with praise.
00:45:18.799 --> 00:45:21.935
Fill the middle of it with provision and protection
00:45:21.935 --> 00:45:25.139
And all the other things.
00:45:25.139 --> 00:45:26.473
Just make sure you go in the front door with praise
00:45:26.473 --> 00:45:28.509
And you go out the back door with praise.
00:45:28.509 --> 00:45:30.911
Put the rest of it in, and if you do that,
00:45:30.911 --> 00:45:32.746
You'll find that to be very helpful.
00:45:32.746 --> 00:45:35.849
Sheila: do you think praying--
00:45:35.849 --> 00:45:37.284
I've found some days in my own life,
00:45:37.284 --> 00:45:38.652
If i'm having a really hard day,
00:45:38.652 --> 00:45:40.621
That praying aloud helps sometimes?
00:45:40.621 --> 00:45:43.891
Dr. jeremiah: yeah, first of all,
00:45:43.891 --> 00:45:45.225
It keeps you from falling asleep.
00:45:45.225 --> 00:45:47.928
I mean, you don't-- you guys are laughing at me,
00:45:47.928 --> 00:45:50.264
But you know what i'm talking about.
00:45:50.264 --> 00:45:52.733
You know, it keeps you alert mentally.
00:45:52.733 --> 00:45:55.702
What a great experience it was for me to go
00:45:55.702 --> 00:45:57.337
To the brooklyn tabernacle
00:45:57.337 --> 00:45:59.072
And be involved in their services
00:45:59.072 --> 00:46:00.874
And hear them all pray.
00:46:00.874 --> 00:46:02.209
They don't just pray one at a time
00:46:02.209 --> 00:46:04.044
When it's time for prayer.
00:46:04.044 --> 00:46:05.879
They all stand up and they all start praying out loud.
00:46:05.879 --> 00:46:08.682
And you feel like you're in this universe
00:46:08.682 --> 00:46:11.852
That you've never been in before,
00:46:11.852 --> 00:46:13.287
Just to hear all these people
00:46:13.287 --> 00:46:14.621
Crying out to god at the same time.
00:46:14.621 --> 00:46:16.790
And it's a really wonderful thing to hear
00:46:16.790 --> 00:46:18.992
All the people of god praying out loud.
00:46:18.992 --> 00:46:21.128
Sheila: yeah, you go on in the book to talk about the fact
00:46:21.128 --> 00:46:24.164
The real lord's prayer is actually found
00:46:24.164 --> 00:46:25.699
In john chapter 17,
00:46:25.699 --> 00:46:27.634
Which you say might be
00:46:27.634 --> 00:46:29.536
One of the greatest chapters in the bible.
00:46:29.536 --> 00:46:31.772
Dr. jeremiah: the 17th chapter of john contains
00:46:31.772 --> 00:46:33.974
Our lord's prayer to his father.
00:46:33.974 --> 00:46:37.544
It's very intimate.
00:46:37.544 --> 00:46:39.313
I preached a whole series of messages
00:46:39.313 --> 00:46:40.981
On that prayer at one time.
00:46:40.981 --> 00:46:43.150
You cannot read that prayer without realizing how much
00:46:43.150 --> 00:46:46.954
The lord jesus christ loves us.
00:46:46.954 --> 00:46:49.823
I mean, the love of god for us is so borne out in the prayer.
00:46:49.823 --> 00:46:54.094
He prays that god will keep us.
00:46:54.094 --> 00:46:56.196
He prays that god would love us.
00:46:56.196 --> 00:46:57.531
And when you read that prayer, you can't help but be blessed.
00:46:57.531 --> 00:47:01.835
Sheila: i love that last dialogue,
00:47:01.835 --> 00:47:03.437
The whole, those chapters, 14, 15, 16, 17,
00:47:03.437 --> 00:47:06.506
Just some of my favorite passages of scripture.
00:47:06.506 --> 00:47:08.909
Now, you give an interesting fact i didn't know.
00:47:08.909 --> 00:47:11.445
Do you know there are 650 prayers in scripture?
00:47:11.445 --> 00:47:15.148
But you identify this high priestly prayer
00:47:15.148 --> 00:47:17.718
In john 17 as almost listening in to heaven's conversation.
00:47:17.718 --> 00:47:22.322
What a privilege.
00:47:22.322 --> 00:47:23.657
Dr. jeremiah: because it is, it's truly what it is.
00:47:23.657 --> 00:47:25.325
We have on paper the words that jesus used
00:47:25.325 --> 00:47:29.363
To talk to his father
00:47:29.363 --> 00:47:31.365
During a time of great anguish and stress.
00:47:31.365 --> 00:47:34.368
And his concern was not for himself;
00:47:34.368 --> 00:47:37.437
His concern was for us.
00:47:37.437 --> 00:47:39.339
And when you read that, it's just,
00:47:39.339 --> 00:47:41.208
It's a wonderful experience.
00:47:41.208 --> 00:47:43.410
Sheila: even knowing what lay ahead of him,
00:47:43.410 --> 00:47:45.846
In the next hours, he was praying for us.
00:47:45.846 --> 00:47:48.348
It's overwhelming.
00:47:48.348 --> 00:47:49.683
The last time we were together,
00:47:49.683 --> 00:47:51.285
You talked about something that i found fascinating
00:47:51.285 --> 00:47:53.120
'cause it's never something i've done.
00:47:53.120 --> 00:47:54.454
You talked about the power of journaling.
00:47:54.454 --> 00:47:56.623
How has that helped you?
00:47:56.623 --> 00:47:58.458
Dr. jeremiah: when i had cancer, i had lymphoma cancer twice,
00:47:58.458 --> 00:48:03.497
And it shut me down for a little while.
00:48:03.497 --> 00:48:05.732
And i remember a godly woman telling me
00:48:05.732 --> 00:48:09.503
That i should journal.
00:48:09.503 --> 00:48:11.939
And i did not know how to do that.
00:48:11.939 --> 00:48:15.309
In fact, the only people that i knew who journaled
00:48:15.309 --> 00:48:19.513
Were mystics and women.
00:48:19.513 --> 00:48:22.683
I'm not kidding you. i'm telling the truth.
00:48:22.683 --> 00:48:24.251
I never knew of a man who journaled.
00:48:24.251 --> 00:48:27.254
And one day i was reading a book by gordon macdonald called
00:48:27.254 --> 00:48:30.691
"the life god blesses," and in that book,
00:48:30.691 --> 00:48:32.993
He talked about journaling in his computer.
00:48:32.993 --> 00:48:35.595
That sounded very masculine to me.
00:48:35.595 --> 00:48:38.565
And i decided, you know, it would be a good idea
00:48:38.565 --> 00:48:41.234
To keep a record of my experiences,
00:48:41.234 --> 00:48:44.137
And i'd probably have that many pages of journaling,
00:48:44.137 --> 00:48:47.107
Which i'm going to shred before i die.
00:48:47.107 --> 00:48:51.378
The journaling thing was really helpful to me
00:48:51.378 --> 00:48:53.880
During that time.
00:48:53.880 --> 00:48:55.449
The way i journal was i
00:48:55.449 --> 00:48:56.783
Would just type out my prayer to god.
00:48:56.783 --> 00:48:59.553
The journal began, "dear lord,
00:48:59.553 --> 00:49:01.888
Yesterday was this way and that way,
00:49:01.888 --> 00:49:03.657
And this is what happened and this is how this worked."
00:49:03.657 --> 00:49:05.659
And then i began to add quotes from books i was reading
00:49:05.659 --> 00:49:09.629
That were helping me spiritually.
00:49:09.629 --> 00:49:11.064
And i put the quotes in there and, most of all, scriptures.
00:49:11.064 --> 00:49:14.468
And then, of course, i was asking god for things.
00:49:14.468 --> 00:49:17.838
One of my great prayers was that god would let me live
00:49:17.838 --> 00:49:21.908
Long enough to see my grandchildren.
00:49:21.908 --> 00:49:26.346
I never even added great-grandchildren.
00:49:26.346 --> 00:49:28.915
I thought that was a little bit--
00:49:28.915 --> 00:49:30.951
The bible says he does more than we would ask or think.
00:49:30.951 --> 00:49:33.353
So he gave me grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
00:49:33.353 --> 00:49:37.657
I have that in my prayer.
00:49:37.657 --> 00:49:40.694
I have that in my journal when i asked it.
00:49:40.694 --> 00:49:43.530
And you know what happens
00:49:43.530 --> 00:49:44.865
When you're going through a dry time?
00:49:44.865 --> 00:49:46.967
You go back and read and you say,
00:49:46.967 --> 00:49:48.435
"you know, god, i can't believe--
00:49:48.435 --> 00:49:49.870
I'd forgotten that you did this for me
00:49:49.870 --> 00:49:51.738
And you did this for me."
00:49:51.738 --> 00:49:53.106
He's always doing something.
00:49:53.106 --> 00:49:55.308
Sheila: that's so true, yeah.
00:49:55.308 --> 00:49:57.244
I decided to do a little research
00:49:57.244 --> 00:49:58.979
And ask people, you know,
00:49:58.979 --> 00:50:00.313
What are some of the questions that you would like to ask
00:50:00.313 --> 00:50:02.416
Dr. jeremiah, particularly on the issue of prayer?
00:50:02.416 --> 00:50:04.418
Somebody asked, "does god listen to us when we pray
00:50:04.418 --> 00:50:06.753
Even when we don't feel like our prayers
00:50:06.753 --> 00:50:08.755
Are going any higher than the bedroom ceiling?"
00:50:08.755 --> 00:50:11.591
Dr. jeremiah: well, just read the command:
00:50:11.591 --> 00:50:12.926
"pray without ceasing,
00:50:12.926 --> 00:50:14.261
Except when you don't feel like your prayers
00:50:14.261 --> 00:50:15.595
Are going out of the room."
00:50:15.595 --> 00:50:17.064
That's not what it says.
00:50:17.064 --> 00:50:19.399
It says: "pray without ceasing.
00:50:19.399 --> 00:50:22.702
Man ought always to pray and not to faint."
00:50:22.702 --> 00:50:26.506
You know, sometimes i think we think that spiritual discipline
00:50:26.506 --> 00:50:31.178
Is a matter of how we feel, you know?
00:50:31.178 --> 00:50:34.314
The bible says: "husbands love your wives."
00:50:34.314 --> 00:50:37.684
You say, "well, i don't feel like it."
00:50:37.684 --> 00:50:39.019
Well, do it anyway
00:50:39.019 --> 00:50:40.353
Because that's what you're supposed to do.
00:50:40.353 --> 00:50:42.222
There are many things in the scripture like that,
00:50:42.222 --> 00:50:44.558
And prayer is certainly one of them.
00:50:44.558 --> 00:50:45.892
Prayer is a responsibility that god has placed upon us,
00:50:45.892 --> 00:50:49.563
Whether we feel like it or not.
00:50:49.563 --> 00:50:50.897
Sheila: yeah, somebody asked, "what should i do when i pray
00:50:50.897 --> 00:50:53.233
And i don't feel anything's happening?"
00:50:53.233 --> 00:50:55.902
Dr. jeremiah: well, i've always said that there's
00:50:55.902 --> 00:50:57.971
More than one answer to prayer, and there's yes,
00:50:57.971 --> 00:51:00.173
There's no, there's wait, and there's grow, you know?
00:51:00.173 --> 00:51:03.343
And god may be testing you.
00:51:03.343 --> 00:51:05.345
I've had many stories, one of my favorite stories
00:51:05.345 --> 00:51:07.814
About my professor in seminary, dr. hendricks,
00:51:07.814 --> 00:51:10.917
Was he prayed
00:51:10.917 --> 00:51:12.686
For his unsaved father for 47 years.
00:51:12.686 --> 00:51:16.523
And he got saved just before he died.
00:51:16.523 --> 00:51:19.526
And i remember him saying,
00:51:19.526 --> 00:51:20.861
"i'm glad i didn't stop at 25 or 27.
00:51:20.861 --> 00:51:23.964
I kept on praying."
00:51:23.964 --> 00:51:25.298
Sheila: a lifetime's not too long to pray.
00:51:25.298 --> 00:51:26.633
Dr. jeremiah: no, that's right.
00:51:26.633 --> 00:51:27.968
Sheila: i want to return to something
00:51:27.968 --> 00:51:29.302
We kind of touched on earlier, and that's unanswered prayer.
00:51:29.302 --> 00:51:32.973
You know, i'm thinking of people
00:51:32.973 --> 00:51:34.307
Who might be watching or here with us
00:51:34.307 --> 00:51:36.109
That they've prayed and prayed about something
00:51:36.109 --> 00:51:38.011
And it's just like they feel like god is not answering.
00:51:38.011 --> 00:51:40.213
What do you do in a place like that?
00:51:40.213 --> 00:51:42.349
Dr. jeremiah: well, you know, i don't have any expectations
00:51:42.349 --> 00:51:46.319
That i can explain god
00:51:46.319 --> 00:51:48.755
And i don't know what he's up to.
00:51:48.755 --> 00:51:51.224
What i know is what i know about him,
00:51:51.224 --> 00:51:53.493
And he's good and gracious and he cares deeply about us,
00:51:53.493 --> 00:51:57.063
And there's no way that god would withhold answers from us
00:51:57.063 --> 00:52:00.800
That he deemed were for our good and for his glory.
00:52:00.800 --> 00:52:04.504
So you keep on praying.
00:52:04.504 --> 00:52:06.006
And you know what, some of our prayers
00:52:06.006 --> 00:52:07.507
May not be answered this side of heaven.
00:52:07.507 --> 00:52:09.609
We may get to heaven
00:52:09.609 --> 00:52:10.944
And we'll be looking at each other,
00:52:10.944 --> 00:52:12.279
"so that's what was all about."
00:52:12.279 --> 00:52:14.681
We may be saying that kind of stuff.
00:52:14.681 --> 00:52:17.884
I just think to keep on praying,
00:52:17.884 --> 00:52:21.221
Even when you don't see the immediate answer,
00:52:21.221 --> 00:52:24.524
Is a testimony to your faith in god and your persistence.
00:52:24.524 --> 00:52:28.395
Sheila: yeah, i remember you telling me
00:52:28.395 --> 00:52:29.930
That when you were at-- with the brooklyn tabernacle,
00:52:29.930 --> 00:52:32.832
That they told you that they had been crying out to god
00:52:32.832 --> 00:52:35.802
For you during your illness.
00:52:35.802 --> 00:52:37.671
Has there been a time in your own life
00:52:37.671 --> 00:52:39.506
When you've cried out to god
00:52:39.506 --> 00:52:40.974
And see him move in a mighty way?
00:52:40.974 --> 00:52:43.543
Dr. jeremiah: well, i'm going to tell you a little story.
00:52:43.543 --> 00:52:45.011
When donna and i started our church
00:52:45.011 --> 00:52:46.580
Back in fort wayne, indiana, with seven couples,
00:52:46.580 --> 00:52:49.716
We had little children and i was working really hard.
00:52:49.716 --> 00:52:53.420
And i was, believe it or not, i started on the radio
00:52:53.420 --> 00:52:56.856
By driving to the radio station and doing the show live
00:52:56.856 --> 00:53:00.460
'cause we couldn't--we didn't have any equipment
00:53:00.460 --> 00:53:02.362
And we couldn't afford any equipment.
00:53:02.362 --> 00:53:03.897
So i'd get in my car every morning.
00:53:03.897 --> 00:53:05.899
I'd go to that radio station, get there by 7:30.
00:53:05.899 --> 00:53:09.002
I had a 15-minute show, and then i'd come home
00:53:09.002 --> 00:53:11.871
And that's when donna and i would sit and talk.
00:53:11.871 --> 00:53:14.507
We had a really nice little house that had
00:53:14.507 --> 00:53:16.676
Kind of a sunken living room in it.
00:53:16.676 --> 00:53:18.678
You know what i mean?
00:53:18.678 --> 00:53:20.013
You kind of walk down in the living room.
00:53:20.013 --> 00:53:21.982
I came home one day, we were talking,
00:53:21.982 --> 00:53:23.850
And all of a sudden she went...
00:53:23.850 --> 00:53:26.386
She reached across her chest like that
00:53:26.386 --> 00:53:28.555
And then she passed out on the floor.
00:53:28.555 --> 00:53:31.358
And i didn't know what to do.
00:53:31.358 --> 00:53:32.792
I tried everything to get her to come to.
00:53:32.792 --> 00:53:34.894
She didn't come to.
00:53:34.894 --> 00:53:36.429
I called 911
00:53:36.429 --> 00:53:37.931
And before the ambulance got there, the sheriff arrived.
00:53:37.931 --> 00:53:41.201
He tried to bring her to.
00:53:41.201 --> 00:53:43.970
And finally they took her away in an ambulance
00:53:43.970 --> 00:53:46.906
And i was there when she went to the hospital.
00:53:46.906 --> 00:53:50.744
They had her for several hours, and finally she recovered.
00:53:50.744 --> 00:53:56.983
They--i don't know what they did.
00:53:56.983 --> 00:53:58.318
They never did tell me exactly what happened to her.
00:53:58.318 --> 00:54:00.954
And i don't know to this day what took place.
00:54:00.954 --> 00:54:03.323
But i'll tell you what, ladies and gentlemen,
00:54:03.323 --> 00:54:05.725
My prayer in that ambulance
00:54:05.725 --> 00:54:07.460
Between my house and the hospital
00:54:07.460 --> 00:54:09.362
Was the most intense prayer i've ever known in my life.
00:54:09.362 --> 00:54:13.466
When we are in need we don't pray,
00:54:13.466 --> 00:54:16.002
We cry out to god, and that's what happened.
00:54:16.002 --> 00:54:19.706
Sheila: that's beautiful, beautiful.
00:54:19.706 --> 00:54:21.941
Will you help me thank dr. jeremiah?
00:54:21.941 --> 00:54:24.377
♪♪♪
00:54:24.377 --> 00:54:31.217
Announcer: thank you for watching "turning point."
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00:55:27.173 --> 00:55:29.275
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00:56:27.000 --> 00:56:29.836
Dr. jeremiah: nothing is too insignificant
00:56:29.836 --> 00:56:31.971
To get on our prayer list.
00:56:31.971 --> 00:56:33.573
He cares about you.
00:56:33.573 --> 00:56:34.908
Somebody says, "i don't want to trouble god with that."
00:56:34.908 --> 00:56:37.210
You're talking about the infinite god
00:56:37.210 --> 00:56:40.980
Who has the capacity to care
00:56:40.980 --> 00:56:42.449
About every detail of every child of his,
00:56:42.449 --> 00:56:45.885
Including you.
00:56:45.885 --> 00:56:48.188
Announcer: thank you for being with us today.
00:56:48.188 --> 00:56:49.889
Join dr. jeremiah next time for his message,
00:56:49.889 --> 00:56:52.759
"the great adventure of prayer," here on "turning point."
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David Jeremiah - Prayer: The Great Adventure Interview

August 17, 2025 | S25 E33 | 58:20

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