David Jeremiah - Prayer, Pagans, and Pretenders

August 31, 2025 | 58:20

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Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah | David Jeremiah - Prayer, Pagans, and Pretenders | August 31, 2025

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Dr. david jeremiah: as a pastor, i've had the profound privilege
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Of walking alongside people through life's checkpoints:
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Marriage, the birth of children, and unfortunately death as well.
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Throughout the years, the questions i often hear
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Aren't about this life.
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They're about what comes next.
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That's why i have spent decades studying and preaching
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About heaven.
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And now, i've gathered all that biblical teaching together
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Into one book called "the promise of heaven."
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Male announcer: "the promise of heaven: 31 reasons to get
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Excited about your eternal home," releases october 7th.
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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, "the promise of heaven"
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Study set.
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For more details and to preorder,
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Contact "turning point" today.
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♪♪♪
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Dr. jeremiah: we are pretty self-sufficient people,
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But that has caused us to make prayer our last resort
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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 about not praying
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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 on the great adventure
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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:
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The request needs to be right, the timing needs to be right,
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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, 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.
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Prayer is a relationship and prayer is a great adventure.
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Announcer: coming up on "turning point."
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Dr. jeremiah: the god who answers this prayer is a good
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And gracious and loving god.
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He never gives us anything that he does not give us the grace
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To deal with.
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He never asks us to walk a road that he does not lead us
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And go with us.
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Announcer: prayer: keep it simple, keep it specific.
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"everything to god in prayer: guided prayers
00:03:03.533 --> 00:03:05.768
For your deepest needs & biggest dreams,"
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By dr. david jeremiah, provides you
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With 100 carefully crafted prayers to guide you
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Through life's challenges and celebrations.
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When words fail you during times of grief;
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When your heart is filled with gratitude,
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But you can't express it; when you're facing decisions
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That seem impossible, dr. jeremiah helps you
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Bring everything to god.
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The bible tells us to go to god in prayer for all things,
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But sometimes we need guidance on how to pray effectively
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And specifically.
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Reading and praying these guided prayers by dr. jeremiah will
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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," 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."
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"everything to god in prayer," the perfect companion
00:03:50.246 --> 00:03:52.982
For your prayer life and a thoughtful gift for anyone
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In your bible study or prayer group.
00:03:55.418 --> 00:03:57.353
And you can request 2 copies for a gift of $60 or more.
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Your deepest needs and biggest dreams deserve the right words.
00:04:00.890 --> 00:04:04.661
Request "everything to god in prayer"
00:04:04.661 --> 00:04:06.396
By dr. jeremiah from "turning point" today.
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Announcer: thank you for watching "turning point."
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Here is dr. jeremiah with his message,
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"prayer, pagans and pretenders."
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Dr. jeremiah: the daughter of an atheist once told a friend
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That she had been raised without any religion.
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"i don't believe in god," she said.
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And then a little wistfully she added, "but the other day i came
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Across an old german book that contained a prayer,
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And if the god of that prayer exists,
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Then i think i might be able to believe in him."
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Her friend asked, "what was the prayer?"
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And she replied slowly, "our father who art in heaven."
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The lord's prayer is one of the most powerful evidences
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Of god's existence.
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Such a prayer could not have been conceived
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Unless god was real, unless he had revealed himself
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And made it possible for us to know him.
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This prayer, recorded in matthew 6,
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Is one of many prayers of the lord jesus.
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In fact, we know of at least 20 prayers that jesus prayed.
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Luke 3 tells us that jesus prayed at his baptism.
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Later, when crowds began pressing him in capernaum,
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He seemed to be aware of the danger of a misplaced devotion.
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He arose, and a great while before dawn, he prayed.
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Before selecting his 12 apostles,
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Jesus spent the whole night in prayer.
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Then there is his high priestly prayer,
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Which is recorded in john 17.
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And of course, the prayer in the garden of gethsemane,
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Where he surrendered to the father's will,
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Saying, "nevertheless not my will, but thine be done."
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But the most well-known prayer associated with jesus's name
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Is the one we call the lord's prayer.
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Of course, the lord's prayer has also been used
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In some unusual ways.
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I read about a minister who parked his car
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In a no-parking zone in a large city.
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Short on time and unable to find a legal space,
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He left a note under his windshield wiper:
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"i have circled this block ten times.
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If i don't park here, i'll miss my appointment.
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Forgive us our trespasses."
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When he returned, he found a parking ticket along with a note
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From the police officer:
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"i have circled this block for 10 years.
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If i don't give you a ticket, i'll lose my job.
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Lead us not into temptation."
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[audience laughing]
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Dr. jeremiah: the lord's prayer...
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The lord's prayer appears two times in scripture:
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Matthew 6 and luke 11.
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And in this study, we'll focus on the version recorded
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In matthew's gospel.
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What a privilege it is to take a few moments today
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To learn from the lord's prayer,
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Not just how to pray, but how to live in harmony
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With the will of god.
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I find it interesting that the disciples never went to jesus
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And said, "lord, teach us to preach," or "teach us to lead."
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They felt the same need that we feel:
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"lord, teach us to pray."
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The lord's prayer begins with some preliminary instructions
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About prayer.
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Before he gives the prayer in matthew 6,
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He lays out a couple of requirements.
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When jesus said, "after this manner, pray,"
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He first wanted to teach us something important
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About the prayer itself.
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First thing that you learn when you read these preliminary
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Instructions is that you should never pray like the hypocrites.
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That's what he says.
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The first warning he gives us is that our prayers
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Must not be hypocritical.
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I think that's so interesting in light of what i've observed
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In many prayer meetings that i've attended.
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He even uses the word "hypocrite" in his teachings.
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Matthew 6:5: "and when you pray,
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You shall not be like the hypocrites.
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For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the
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Corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.
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Assuredly, i say to you, they have their reward."
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Hypocrites are more interested in the position than in piety.
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In jesus's day, jewish pharisees
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Were committed to praying at set hours:
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3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock, and 12 o'clock.
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Wherever they were when the hour struck,
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They would stop and pray out loud.
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Some of the pharisees even planned their schedules
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To ensure that they were in the most public places
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When it was time to pray.
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At 12 o'clock, they would find themselves in the city center,
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And at just the right moment, they would lift their hands
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And begin praying aloud.
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And the crowd would look on and say,
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"now, that must be a really spiritual person."
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Jesus said, don't pray like that.
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Hypocritical praying is more concerned with position
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Than with piety, more concerned with the people
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Who are watching than the god you hope is listening.
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This doesn't mean that public praying is wrong.
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Some groups have taken these words of our lord
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And have used them to forbid group praying.
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That's just not what it means.
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After all, the gospels show jesus praying publicly
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On several occasions.
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And the book of acts, which is the history of the early church,
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Records many examples of believers praying together.
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There is a place for public prayers,
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But they must be genuine,
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And they must never take the place
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Of our private praying.
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One of the most sobering truths in studying the lord's prayer
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Is this: no one can try to impress people
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And at the same time truly connect with god.
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It's not possible.
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Jesus warns us upfront, prayer isn't about impressing others.
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If we pray for recognition, that's the only reward
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We'll ever get.
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Jesus gives a second warning: not only should we avoid praying
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Like hypocrites, but we must also avoid praying
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Like the heathen.
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He actually says that.
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"and when you pray," verse 7, "do not use vain repetitions
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As the heathen do.
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For they think that they will be heard for their many words."
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You might ask, "do the heathen pray?"
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Oh, yes.
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And jesus describes one of their key mistakes: vain repetition.
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This is the idea that we must repeat the same words over and
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Over, almost like a spiritual mantra to get god's attention.
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And if we're honest, even as bible-believing christians,
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We can sometimes fall into this habit.
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Jesus warns us not to approach god with rote prayers,
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But with real prayers, prayers that come from relationship,
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Not from routine.
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It's striking that before giving the lord's prayer,
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One of the most frequently repeated prayers in history,
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Jesus specifically warns against vain repetition.
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In luke's account of the pharisees and the tax collector,
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There's an intriguing phrase: "the pharisee stood
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And prayed with himself."
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Think about that.
00:11:39.482 --> 00:11:40.816
Have you ever heard someone pray with themselves?
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Maybe god is just listening in as a secondary thought.
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Jesus warns us that prayer must not be like that.
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In some cultures, people write their prayers on paper
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And place them in prayer wheels, believing that each
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Turn of the wheel offers the prayer up to heaven.
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The more spins, the more prayers.
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That's vain repetition.
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You see, prayer is all about god wanting our hearts.
00:12:07.810 --> 00:12:11.514
That's why jesus gives these warnings.
00:12:11.514 --> 00:12:14.216
Don't pray like the hypocrites.
00:12:14.216 --> 00:12:16.051
Don't pray like the heathen.
00:12:16.051 --> 00:12:17.987
That's what the scripture says.
00:12:17.987 --> 00:12:20.122
Now, notice the pattern for prayer.
00:12:20.122 --> 00:12:22.958
When you begin to study its meaning,
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You discover some profound theology.
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Look carefully at the prayer, and notice the emphasis on god
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In the first three petitions: thy name, thy kingdom, thy will.
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Then observe the second half of the prayer,
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Which highlights the poverty of man.
00:12:42.178 --> 00:12:45.014
Let me rephrase it so you see the contrast.
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Us, give us daily bread.
00:12:47.683 --> 00:12:50.319
Us, forgive us our debts.
00:12:50.319 --> 00:12:52.822
Us, lead us not into temptation.
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Us, deliver us from evil.
00:12:55.324 --> 00:12:58.394
The first part of the prayer is, thy, thy, thy.
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The second part of the prayer is, us, us, us.
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God has all the glory, all the power, all the majesty.
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We, on the other hand, have all the needs, all the wants,
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And all the poverty.
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Isn't it a privilege to come to a prayer where you can say,
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Lord, i'm empty, but, o god, you're full.
00:13:17.713 --> 00:13:21.183
You are my source.
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You are the one i come to.
00:13:22.518 --> 00:13:27.523
This prayer is everything we need for a life of prayer."
00:13:27.523 --> 00:13:32.027
For a season, i used the lord's prayer as the outline
00:13:32.027 --> 00:13:36.732
For my prayer every day.
00:13:36.732 --> 00:13:38.801
Let me show you how it works, why it's a powerful way to pray.
00:13:38.801 --> 00:13:43.973
The prayer begins, first of all, with praise.
00:13:43.973 --> 00:13:47.009
"our father in heaven, hallowed be your name."
00:13:47.009 --> 00:13:51.647
The bible tells us to enter into his presence with thanksgiving.
00:13:51.647 --> 00:13:57.052
Jesus said, "hallowed be thy name."
00:13:57.052 --> 00:13:58.787
That means we begin by honoring, worshiping, and praising god.
00:13:58.787 --> 00:14:03.559
How easy it is to rush into god's presence
00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:07.062
With a long list of needs.
00:14:07.062 --> 00:14:09.565
We start asking before we have even acknowledged who he is.
00:14:09.565 --> 00:14:13.802
But god invites us to begin with praise.
00:14:13.802 --> 00:14:17.072
Take the names of god, open the psalms,
00:14:17.072 --> 00:14:19.575
Find words that exalt him.
00:14:19.575 --> 00:14:21.977
Here's why this matters.
00:14:21.977 --> 00:14:23.779
If you start your prayer focused on your needs,
00:14:23.779 --> 00:14:26.982
You may not have confidence in your prayers.
00:14:26.982 --> 00:14:30.219
But if you begin by seeing god as he is, high and lifted up,
00:14:30.219 --> 00:14:35.925
Full of power and majesty, you know that your prayers are being
00:14:35.925 --> 00:14:39.962
Offered to someone who can hear you and answer you and help you.
00:14:39.962 --> 00:14:45.701
Make god big in your prayers.
00:14:45.701 --> 00:14:48.203
Begin with praise.
00:14:48.203 --> 00:14:49.838
"our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."
00:14:49.838 --> 00:14:55.477
And then, after praise comes priorities.
00:14:55.477 --> 00:15:03.018
"your kingdom come.
00:15:03.018 --> 00:15:05.454
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
00:15:05.454 --> 00:15:10.492
What would happen if god's will were done on earth
00:15:10.492 --> 00:15:14.196
As it is in heaven?
00:15:14.196 --> 00:15:16.031
In heaven, his will is done perfectly and completely.
00:15:16.031 --> 00:15:19.969
This is where we surrender.
00:15:19.969 --> 00:15:21.403
We lay our priorities before him and align them with his.
00:15:21.403 --> 00:15:25.641
I remind myself almost every day of my priorities.
00:15:25.641 --> 00:15:29.545
I want to give them to you.
00:15:29.545 --> 00:15:30.879
Here's what they are.
00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:32.381
And if you know anything about me and have watched
00:15:32.381 --> 00:15:34.783
What's happened here over the years,
00:15:34.783 --> 00:15:36.885
You probably will see that these priorities
00:15:36.885 --> 00:15:38.654
Are what have guided my life.
00:15:38.654 --> 00:15:40.990
First of all, i am a person before god.
00:15:41.056 --> 00:15:44.860
I must take care of that relationship.
00:15:44.860 --> 00:15:49.064
Secondly, i'm a partner to my wife.
00:15:49.064 --> 00:15:53.502
She's the most important person on this earth to me.
00:15:53.502 --> 00:15:57.606
Only god gets ahead of donna.
00:15:57.606 --> 00:16:00.009
Thirdly, i'm a parent with my children.
00:16:00.009 --> 00:16:02.745
I need to tell you that when you do what i do
00:16:02.745 --> 00:16:05.047
And what some of you guys do who have responsible positions
00:16:05.047 --> 00:16:08.917
That demand a lot of your time and attention,
00:16:08.917 --> 00:16:11.587
If you're not careful,
00:16:11.587 --> 00:16:13.555
You can sacrifice your children on the altar of your success,
00:16:13.555 --> 00:16:18.127
And it is a very poor choice if you do that.
00:16:18.127 --> 00:16:22.264
When i was first beginning to be a pastor back in fort wayne,
00:16:22.264 --> 00:16:27.069
I was trying to build the church i had started there
00:16:27.069 --> 00:16:29.505
With seven families.
00:16:29.505 --> 00:16:31.373
One of my favorite sayings to everybody was,
00:16:31.373 --> 00:16:33.075
"sure, i got to work every day and every night.
00:16:33.075 --> 00:16:34.710
I'm the gross national product.
00:16:34.710 --> 00:16:36.278
Don't you know that?
00:16:36.278 --> 00:16:37.646
There's nobody but me.
00:16:37.646 --> 00:16:38.981
If i don't do it, nobody's going to do it."
00:16:38.981 --> 00:16:40.482
So i worked many hours.
00:16:40.482 --> 00:16:42.584
I would get up early and study, make appointments with people,
00:16:42.584 --> 00:16:45.954
And i would eat supper and then immediately leave and go visit,
00:16:45.954 --> 00:16:48.724
And i visited every night.
00:16:48.724 --> 00:16:50.559
In many ways, it was a wonderful time.
00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:52.494
I led many people to jesus christ,
00:16:52.494 --> 00:16:54.563
And the church grew,
00:16:54.563 --> 00:16:56.065
But in that particular time, i was out of sync with god.
00:16:56.065 --> 00:17:00.436
I would come home, and after we would eat, my wife would say to
00:17:00.436 --> 00:17:02.938
Me, "are you gonna be gone again tonight?"
00:17:02.938 --> 00:17:06.775
And then i would give her my little gross national product
00:17:06.775 --> 00:17:09.445
Speech and tell her if i didn't go, there was nobody else to go.
00:17:09.445 --> 00:17:12.848
And if i didn't go, this church would never grow.
00:17:12.848 --> 00:17:15.050
And she would say, okay.
00:17:15.050 --> 00:17:18.153
But she had two little children that she had fought with all day
00:17:18.153 --> 00:17:20.556
Long, and she was hoping for a little help at night.
00:17:20.556 --> 00:17:24.326
This went on until it got out of control, and one day,
00:17:24.326 --> 00:17:27.629
I don't know if your wife has ever said this to you,
00:17:27.629 --> 00:17:29.231
But donna said to me, "honey, we need to talk."
00:17:29.231 --> 00:17:33.469
Yikes, yikes.
00:17:33.469 --> 00:17:38.807
And so, we sat down in the kitchen,
00:17:38.807 --> 00:17:42.611
And she gave me this speech.
00:17:42.611 --> 00:17:44.246
I'll never forget it.
00:17:44.246 --> 00:17:46.081
She said, "i don't know what to do."
00:17:46.081 --> 00:17:49.852
She said, "i love you, i love this church,
00:17:49.852 --> 00:17:52.554
And i love these children, but i can't do this by myself.
00:17:52.554 --> 00:17:57.359
And i feel so awkward saying anything to you about it
00:17:57.359 --> 00:18:01.864
Because i feel like i'm getting in between you
00:18:01.864 --> 00:18:04.366
And what you think god wants you to do.
00:18:04.366 --> 00:18:06.969
So i finally figured out what to do, and here it is.
00:18:06.969 --> 00:18:10.239
I am never going to say anything to you again
00:18:10.239 --> 00:18:13.142
About how you spend your time.
00:18:13.142 --> 00:18:15.377
I'm going to let you and god figure that out."
00:18:15.377 --> 00:18:19.648
And it broke my heart.
00:18:19.648 --> 00:18:21.750
That's part of this list of priorities.
00:18:21.750 --> 00:18:24.319
Once again, i'm a person before god,
00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:27.623
I'm a partner to my wife, and i'm a parent to my children.
00:18:27.623 --> 00:18:32.427
And then i'm a pastor to the church.
00:18:32.427 --> 00:18:35.297
And i remember telling the church one sunday,
00:18:35.297 --> 00:18:37.399
"you guys are number four."
00:18:37.399 --> 00:18:41.003
And i had many of them write me little notes and say,
00:18:41.003 --> 00:18:44.006
"pastor, don't ever change that,
00:18:44.006 --> 00:18:45.841
Because if we're not number four,
00:18:45.841 --> 00:18:47.442
You've got nothing to give us."
00:18:47.442 --> 00:18:49.611
Because this is god's priorities.
00:18:49.611 --> 00:18:52.381
And so, thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.
00:18:52.381 --> 00:18:56.518
What would happen if you prayed, "lord, let your will be done
00:18:56.518 --> 00:18:59.521
In my relationships with you and my spouse
00:18:59.521 --> 00:19:02.991
And my children and my calling?"
00:19:02.991 --> 00:19:05.327
This is the place in the prayer to submit every part
00:19:05.327 --> 00:19:08.163
Of your life to him.
00:19:08.163 --> 00:19:10.499
First, praise, hallowed be thy name, and then priorities,
00:19:10.499 --> 00:19:15.737
Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
00:19:15.737 --> 00:19:19.408
So after praise and after priorities comes provision.
00:19:19.408 --> 00:19:23.946
Isn't it interesting that it's number three in the prayer list,
00:19:23.946 --> 00:19:26.815
But it's number one on our practice list because we always
00:19:26.815 --> 00:19:30.285
Want what god has and we don't have up front.
00:19:30.285 --> 00:19:33.322
And we jump in at that and we don't praise him,
00:19:33.322 --> 00:19:35.457
We don't ask him about our priorities,
00:19:35.457 --> 00:19:38.260
And we ask him for what we need.
00:19:38.260 --> 00:19:40.529
Matthew 6:11: "give us this day our daily bread."
00:19:40.529 --> 00:19:45.901
How many of you have needs?
00:19:45.901 --> 00:19:49.638
Some may say, "are we talking about physical bread
00:19:49.638 --> 00:19:52.374
Or spiritual bread?"
00:19:52.374 --> 00:19:53.709
And the answer is both.
00:19:53.709 --> 00:19:55.444
God desires to meet our needs, but notice the order.
00:19:55.444 --> 00:19:58.880
First we focus on who he is, then we align our lives
00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:03.485
With his will, and then we bring our needs before him.
00:20:03.485 --> 00:20:07.956
Number four, personal relationships.
00:20:07.956 --> 00:20:11.827
"and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
00:20:11.827 --> 00:20:17.266
Interestingly enough, if you study this prayer,
00:20:17.266 --> 00:20:19.034
You will discover this is the only part of the prayer
00:20:19.034 --> 00:20:21.203
That jesus repeats.
00:20:21.203 --> 00:20:23.438
In matthew 6:15 at the end of the prayer, he says:
00:20:23.438 --> 00:20:26.141
"if you do not forgive men their trespasses,
00:20:26.141 --> 00:20:28.677
Neither will your father forgive your trespasses."
00:20:28.677 --> 00:20:32.347
Is there someone in your life you haven't forgiven?
00:20:32.347 --> 00:20:35.617
Jesus teaches us to pray, "lord, forgive me in the same way
00:20:35.617 --> 00:20:39.755
That i forgive others."
00:20:39.755 --> 00:20:41.990
That's a sobering thought.
00:20:41.990 --> 00:20:44.559
Life is full of relational challenges.
00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:46.928
Every one of us in this room has them.
00:20:46.928 --> 00:20:49.564
Friendships, family, work relationships,
00:20:49.564 --> 00:20:51.967
Every day there's something to bring before god in prayer
00:20:51.967 --> 00:20:54.936
In the relationship factor.
00:20:54.936 --> 00:20:57.439
And then we pray for protection.
00:20:57.439 --> 00:21:02.344
"and do not lead us into temptation,
00:21:02.344 --> 00:21:04.446
But deliver us from the evil one."
00:21:04.446 --> 00:21:08.550
Walking through life today is like walking
00:21:08.550 --> 00:21:10.452
Through a minefield.
00:21:10.452 --> 00:21:12.721
It's worse now than it's ever been in my lifetime.
00:21:12.721 --> 00:21:15.724
I say that honestly before all of you who are christians here
00:21:15.724 --> 00:21:18.660
Because i know most of you are.
00:21:18.660 --> 00:21:20.662
It's more difficult to be a christian now
00:21:20.662 --> 00:21:22.497
Than it's ever been.
00:21:22.497 --> 00:21:23.832
There are more things against us than have ever been
00:21:23.832 --> 00:21:26.401
Against us before.
00:21:26.401 --> 00:21:28.570
And we keep looking and waiting for it to change
00:21:28.570 --> 00:21:31.306
And when it changes it gets worse.
00:21:31.306 --> 00:21:34.209
And to be courageous enough to stand up in some settings
00:21:34.209 --> 00:21:37.646
And admit that you are a follower of jesus christ
00:21:37.646 --> 00:21:40.549
Puts your acceptability with that community in jeopardy.
00:21:40.549 --> 00:21:45.921
But here's what we pray every morning.
00:21:45.921 --> 00:21:48.924
"do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us
00:21:48.924 --> 00:21:52.194
From the evil one."
00:21:52.194 --> 00:21:53.695
We never know what temptation or challenge is ahead.
00:21:53.695 --> 00:21:57.332
That is why we need to pray for god's guidance and protection.
00:21:57.332 --> 00:22:01.169
So it's praise, priorities, provision,
00:22:01.169 --> 00:22:04.806
Personal relationships, protection,
00:22:04.806 --> 00:22:07.175
And guess where you end up?
00:22:07.175 --> 00:22:09.044
Right back where you started.
00:22:09.044 --> 00:22:11.413
"for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
00:22:11.413 --> 00:22:16.418
Amen."
00:22:16.418 --> 00:22:18.153
God's prayer is framed in praise.
00:22:18.153 --> 00:22:21.123
We start with worship, we end with worship, and in between,
00:22:21.123 --> 00:22:24.726
We bring our needs to god.
00:22:24.726 --> 00:22:27.162
During world war ii, a young soldier lay dying in a hospital.
00:22:27.162 --> 00:22:32.401
A chaplain came to pray with him, and something in his heart
00:22:32.401 --> 00:22:35.670
Told him to pray the lord's prayer.
00:22:35.670 --> 00:22:38.740
When he finished, the soldier's eyes filled with tears.
00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:42.177
He whispered, "my mother used to pray that prayer with me.
00:22:42.177 --> 00:22:45.180
Oh, how good it is to hear it again."
00:22:45.180 --> 00:22:47.983
The next day, the chaplain returned and the bed was empty.
00:22:47.983 --> 00:22:51.353
The young soldier had passed away.
00:22:51.353 --> 00:22:54.022
A nurse told him, "just an hour after you left,
00:22:54.022 --> 00:22:57.759
He was still praying out loud and his last words were,
00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:00.695
'my father, my father.
00:23:00.695 --> 00:23:02.230
Yes, mother, he's my father, because i've accepted him.
00:23:02.230 --> 00:23:06.268
I'm coming home.'"
00:23:06.268 --> 00:23:08.003
My friends, you cannot say, "our father,"
00:23:08.003 --> 00:23:09.805
Unless he is truly your father.
00:23:09.805 --> 00:23:12.541
You only get into god's family if you accept god's son,
00:23:12.541 --> 00:23:15.610
Jesus christ.
00:23:15.610 --> 00:23:17.112
You must be born again.
00:23:17.112 --> 00:23:19.314
You've never trusted christ as your savior,
00:23:19.314 --> 00:23:22.117
This prayer doesn't belong to you yet.
00:23:22.117 --> 00:23:24.619
You have to start by putting christ
00:23:24.619 --> 00:23:26.621
On the throne of your life.
00:23:26.621 --> 00:23:28.557
But here's the good news.
00:23:28.557 --> 00:23:30.525
No matter who you are or what you've done,
00:23:30.525 --> 00:23:33.528
God extends an invitation to you.
00:23:33.528 --> 00:23:35.831
If you receive christ, he will become your lord,
00:23:35.831 --> 00:23:41.002
And god will become your father.
00:23:41.002 --> 00:23:43.238
And then with confidence, you can pray, "my father in heaven."
00:23:43.238 --> 00:23:48.210
For those who are already believers, let this prayer
00:23:48.210 --> 00:23:50.712
Remind you of god's desire for daily fellowship with you.
00:23:50.712 --> 00:23:56.151
Not with high-sounding words, not with vain repetitions,
00:23:56.151 --> 00:24:01.656
But with the simplicity of a child speaking to his father.
00:24:01.656 --> 00:24:06.928
So open your heart and speak to him,
00:24:06.928 --> 00:24:10.532
And let the lord's prayer give you an outline.
00:24:10.532 --> 00:24:13.768
It's good to memorize the lord's prayer,
00:24:13.768 --> 00:24:16.004
And we often recite it in church,
00:24:16.004 --> 00:24:19.508
But that's not the purpose of the lord's teaching.
00:24:19.508 --> 00:24:23.645
He taught us the lord's prayer to give us an outline
00:24:23.645 --> 00:24:27.282
So we would know how to organize our prayers.
00:24:27.282 --> 00:24:31.820
And i find that many christians who have been christians
00:24:31.820 --> 00:24:34.556
For many years have never thought about that,
00:24:34.556 --> 00:24:37.225
Have never thought even about a prayer being organized.
00:24:37.225 --> 00:24:40.462
If we don't organize our prayers and plan them a little bit,
00:24:40.462 --> 00:24:43.331
They just become sort of a mumbling in some ways.
00:24:43.331 --> 00:24:49.104
We pray about our children, we pray about our needs,
00:24:49.104 --> 00:24:53.208
We pray about our relationships,
00:24:53.208 --> 00:24:56.411
And most of all we praise god for his goodness.
00:24:56.411 --> 00:25:00.482
Somewhere along the way, all of this will be tested
00:25:00.482 --> 00:25:03.118
In your life.
00:25:03.118 --> 00:25:04.853
I used to say that, knowing it would be true,
00:25:04.853 --> 00:25:06.688
Until it happened to me.
00:25:06.688 --> 00:25:09.357
It's been tested in my life.
00:25:09.357 --> 00:25:12.127
And i'm here to tell you that the god who answers this prayer
00:25:12.127 --> 00:25:16.865
Is a good and gracious and loving god.
00:25:16.865 --> 00:25:20.302
He never gives us anything that he does not give us
00:25:20.302 --> 00:25:22.904
The grace to deal with.
00:25:22.904 --> 00:25:24.706
He never asks us to walk a road that he does not lead us
00:25:24.706 --> 00:25:28.810
And go with us.
00:25:28.810 --> 00:25:30.712
When i first became a pastor, i went to the church
00:25:30.712 --> 00:25:33.515
Where i was going to start with a bunch of families,
00:25:33.515 --> 00:25:37.152
And someone had put a sign up on the door in our kitchen.
00:25:37.152 --> 00:25:41.423
I'll never forget this sign that stayed with me all my life.
00:25:41.423 --> 00:25:44.392
It went like this:
00:25:44.392 --> 00:25:45.894
"god's commandments are god's enablements."
00:25:45.894 --> 00:25:49.497
The sign was simply to encourage me that if god had commanded me
00:25:49.497 --> 00:25:53.034
To come there and be the pastor,
00:25:53.034 --> 00:25:55.370
God was obligated to give me what i needed to do it.
00:25:55.370 --> 00:25:59.874
God will never ask you to go through anything
00:25:59.874 --> 00:26:02.077
That he won't equip you for.
00:26:02.077 --> 00:26:03.812
He just doesn't do that.
00:26:03.812 --> 00:26:05.146
[audience applauding]
00:26:05.146 --> 00:26:07.949
Dr. jeremiah: and the lord's prayer--the lord's prayer
00:26:07.949 --> 00:26:10.852
Is a reminder of that truth.
00:26:10.852 --> 00:26:13.488
He is your father.
00:26:13.488 --> 00:26:14.956
You are his children.
00:26:14.956 --> 00:26:16.858
I am his child, sons and daughters of almighty god.
00:26:16.858 --> 00:26:21.730
And there's not anything he won't do for you
00:26:21.730 --> 00:26:23.598
If you just pray.
00:26:23.598 --> 00:26:26.368
Pray.
00:26:26.368 --> 00:26:27.869
The father's prayer is a good place to start.
00:26:27.869 --> 00:26:30.905
♪♪♪
00:26:31.539 --> 00:26:37.545
Announcer: thank you for watching "turning point."
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By dr. jeremiah from "turning point" today.
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♪♪♪
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Announcer: if you have never taken the step to believe in
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00:28:09.304 --> 00:28:11.473
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Of broadcast ministry.
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Announcer: coming up on "turning point."
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Dr. jeremiah: there is a sanctuary in your prayer time
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With the lord that takes you away from every pressure
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And burden in this world.
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And for a short time, you can understand sweet hour of prayer.
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Announcer: stay tuned for another message
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From dr. jeremiah's series, "prayer: the great adventure,"
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"a life-changing prayer."
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Coming up next here on "turning point."
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♪♪♪
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Dr. jeremiah: we are pretty self-sufficient people,
00:29:01.422 --> 00:29:03.291
But that has caused us to make prayer our last resort
00:29:03.291 --> 00:29:06.961
When we're in trouble.
00:29:06.961 --> 00:29:10.398
We make prayer so difficult.
00:29:10.398 --> 00:29:12.534
Prayer may be mysterious, but it's not complicated.
00:29:12.534 --> 00:29:15.837
It's simple.
00:29:15.837 --> 00:29:17.572
And in this series, i'm going to teach you
00:29:17.572 --> 00:29:20.041
How to transform your prayer life.
00:29:20.041 --> 00:29:25.446
I'm not here to make you feel guilty about not praying
00:29:25.446 --> 00:29:28.416
As much as you should.
00:29:28.416 --> 00:29:30.018
The real issue isn't guilt.
00:29:30.018 --> 00:29:31.753
It's that we're missing out on the great adventure
00:29:31.753 --> 00:29:34.322
God has for us.
00:29:34.322 --> 00:29:37.859
So you want to know why you're not seeing
00:29:37.859 --> 00:29:39.794
Your prayers being answered?
00:29:39.794 --> 00:29:41.596
Well, they're just not specific enough.
00:29:41.596 --> 00:29:44.966
Your prayer should be so specific
00:29:44.966 --> 00:29:47.035
That when god answers it, you recognize it.
00:29:47.035 --> 00:29:49.971
If you want your prayers answered,
00:29:49.971 --> 00:29:52.173
Three things need to be true:
00:29:52.173 --> 00:29:54.509
The request needs to be right, the timing needs to be right,
00:29:54.509 --> 00:29:58.513
And you need to be right.
00:29:58.513 --> 00:30:01.816
Don't pray like an adult.
00:30:01.816 --> 00:30:03.718
Pray like a child.
00:30:03.718 --> 00:30:05.353
Keep it simple, keep it specific, and keep at it.
00:30:05.353 --> 00:30:11.125
God cares about everything in your life,
00:30:11.125 --> 00:30:13.428
Even the little things.
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Nothing is too insignificant to get on your prayer list
00:30:15.163 --> 00:30:18.433
Because god has the capacity to care about every detail
00:30:18.433 --> 00:30:21.336
Of every one of his children, including you.
00:30:21.336 --> 00:30:25.807
What is prayer?
00:30:25.807 --> 00:30:27.342
Prayer is a conversation.
00:30:27.342 --> 00:30:29.377
Prayer is a relationship and prayer is a great adventure.
00:30:29.377 --> 00:30:33.948
Announcer: here is dr. jeremiah with his message,
00:30:37.952 --> 00:30:40.488
"a life-changing prayer."
00:30:40.488 --> 00:30:42.390
Dr. jeremiah: almost 100 years ago,
00:30:43.825 --> 00:30:45.793
A young missionary in ecuador named raymond edman
00:30:45.793 --> 00:30:49.564
Staggered in the jungle, desperately ill.
00:30:49.564 --> 00:30:53.735
"he be dead by morning," the doctor said,
00:30:53.735 --> 00:30:57.505
And his wife dyed her wedding dress black,
00:30:57.505 --> 00:31:02.610
Readying it for the funeral which, in the tropics,
00:31:02.610 --> 00:31:04.913
You have to take place on the same day as the death.
00:31:04.913 --> 00:31:08.616
A sense of shock and sorrow hung over their little home.
00:31:08.616 --> 00:31:14.122
Thousands of miles away, edman's friend,
00:31:14.122 --> 00:31:16.791
Dr. joseph evans, interrupted a prayer meeting,
00:31:16.791 --> 00:31:19.193
Saying, "i feel we must pray for raymond edman in ecuador."
00:31:19.193 --> 00:31:24.465
And the group stopped everything and prayed earnestly
00:31:24.465 --> 00:31:27.435
Until evans cried out, "praise the lord,
00:31:27.435 --> 00:31:29.570
I'm sure the victory's won."
00:31:29.570 --> 00:31:31.739
Edman recovered, went on to have a remarkable career.
00:31:31.739 --> 00:31:35.243
He eventually became president of wheaton college
00:31:35.243 --> 00:31:38.279
And personally mentored hundreds of students,
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Including billy graham.
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An intercessory prayer.
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I don't know what happened to the black wedding dress,
00:31:47.755 --> 00:31:50.124
But i do know the story of the church
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Has been repeatedly dyed in golden hues
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By the power of intercessory prayer.
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When we pray, god hears.
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Jesus christ is our ultimate intercessor.
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Hebrews tells us he prays for us.
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Isn't that amazing?
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And we're to do the same.
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We're to offer supplications and prayers and intercessions
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And giving of thanks for other people.
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Praying is for us,
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But it's first of all for others.
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And to intercede simply means to pray for someone else.
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Jesus closed the gap between us and god
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When he died on the cross.
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And because of that we can now stand in prayer for others,
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Bringing their needs to god and asking god
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To work according to his will.
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So i want you to know that intercessory prayer
00:32:39.374 --> 00:32:42.377
Isn't just for super christians who are called
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To a specific ministry.
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Maybe they're on the prayer team.
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We're all intercessors, whether we know it or not.
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I know that you have prayed for me and in that respect
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You have interceded in my behalf.
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It's part of your calling, part of my calling, in christ.
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And it's a privilege to come every day
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Before the lord and ask his blessing
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On someone you know and love.
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The bible tells us to offer intercessory prayers
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For those in authority, for our friends,
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For the city of jerusalem, for fellow countrymen,
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For the sick, for our enemies,
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For those who persecute us, for those who forsake us,
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And for all people it says.
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That's what the scripture says.
00:33:28.056 --> 00:33:30.324
So can you create your own prayer list from those items?
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You absolutely sure can.
00:33:33.928 --> 00:33:35.730
Can you become an intercessor?
00:33:35.730 --> 00:33:37.331
You'll find all you need to begin in what we're going
00:33:37.331 --> 00:33:40.234
To look at today from the book of colossians
00:33:40.234 --> 00:33:42.570
And the first chapter.
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I have to tell you when i came across this prayer
00:33:44.272 --> 00:33:46.441
I was overwhelmed.
00:33:46.441 --> 00:33:48.176
I remember preaching a sermon on it a long time ago
00:33:48.176 --> 00:33:51.212
And realizing what a tremendous illustration this is
00:33:51.212 --> 00:33:56.317
For how we pray for others.
00:33:56.317 --> 00:33:57.952
And i don't know if you've noticed this,
00:33:57.952 --> 00:33:59.520
If you read the prayers of the bible
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They're quite different from the ones we pray.
00:34:01.155 --> 00:34:03.858
They're more like praying for the spiritual side of people.
00:34:03.858 --> 00:34:06.494
We pray for the physical.
00:34:06.494 --> 00:34:07.895
We want to get them out of the hospital,
00:34:07.895 --> 00:34:09.297
Get them better.
00:34:09.297 --> 00:34:10.731
But the prayers of the bible don't really resonate with that.
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I mean, there are some specific prayers for that.
00:34:12.967 --> 00:34:16.037
But i want to show you this prayer from colossians
00:34:16.037 --> 00:34:19.974
Because it teaches us to pray without ceasing.
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That is, without getting discouraged
00:34:23.444 --> 00:34:25.012
And without quitting.
00:34:25.012 --> 00:34:26.414
That doesn't mean you pray every moment.
00:34:26.414 --> 00:34:27.815
It just means you don't ever give up on prayer.
00:34:27.815 --> 00:34:30.451
Paul's prayers for the colossians
00:34:30.451 --> 00:34:32.019
Were tireless and ceaseless,
00:34:32.019 --> 00:34:34.589
And by the time he wrote the colossian letter,
00:34:34.589 --> 00:34:37.258
He had possibly been praying for this church for almost 10 years.
00:34:37.258 --> 00:34:42.396
It's easy to give up on prayer.
00:34:42.396 --> 00:34:44.065
If you don't get what you want after a certain period of time,
00:34:44.065 --> 00:34:45.933
If you don't see your agenda being fulfilled, you think,
00:34:45.933 --> 00:34:48.002
"well, i guess maybe god doesn't want that to happen."
00:34:48.002 --> 00:34:51.139
I just have too many illustrations of people
00:34:51.139 --> 00:34:54.075
Who prayed all of their lives for one thing,
00:34:54.075 --> 00:34:56.844
And then god answered in his time.
00:34:56.844 --> 00:34:59.380
Somebody said, "if he answers you,
00:34:59.380 --> 00:35:01.048
You quit praying.
00:35:01.048 --> 00:35:02.850
So he's going to keep you praying."
00:35:02.850 --> 00:35:06.087
Now this isn't the easiest habit to form.
00:35:06.087 --> 00:35:08.856
Many of us fail to pray as we should and we admit that,
00:35:08.856 --> 00:35:12.593
But there are always ways of weaving this habit
00:35:12.593 --> 00:35:15.062
Into the rhythm of our lives.
00:35:15.062 --> 00:35:17.465
Emma daniel gray worked for the federal government
00:35:17.465 --> 00:35:20.635
As a charwoman, which is an old word for a cleaning woman.
00:35:20.635 --> 00:35:25.973
She started in 1943, and for over a decade,
00:35:25.973 --> 00:35:29.777
She cleaned various government agencies in washington.
00:35:29.777 --> 00:35:33.981
In 1955 she was transferred to the white house
00:35:33.981 --> 00:35:37.285
And for the next 24 years
00:35:37.285 --> 00:35:39.520
She diligently cleaned the west wing.
00:35:39.520 --> 00:35:42.790
Every day when she came to the president's chair she paused,
00:35:42.790 --> 00:35:46.727
Cleaning materials in hand, and she prayed.
00:35:46.727 --> 00:35:50.264
She asked for blessings, wisdom, safety for each
00:35:50.264 --> 00:35:53.000
Of the six presidents that she served.
00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:56.137
Emma's prayers weren't long or complex,
00:35:56.137 --> 00:35:59.240
But they were persistent.
00:35:59.240 --> 00:36:00.975
She prayed faithfully over a period of decades.
00:36:00.975 --> 00:36:04.212
Have you prayed for someone or something like that?
00:36:04.212 --> 00:36:07.248
Have you ever had a long list of prayer lists that you pray for?
00:36:07.248 --> 00:36:11.085
Don't stop.
00:36:11.085 --> 00:36:12.420
Don't let anybody talk you out of it.
00:36:12.420 --> 00:36:14.288
John wesley advised, "storm the throne of grace
00:36:14.288 --> 00:36:17.959
And persevere there, and mercy will come down."
00:36:17.959 --> 00:36:21.562
Storm the throne of grace.
00:36:21.562 --> 00:36:23.030
I like that phrase.
00:36:23.030 --> 00:36:25.166
Our next lesson from paul's intercessory example
00:36:25.166 --> 00:36:28.169
Has to do with his petitions,
00:36:28.169 --> 00:36:30.471
What he asked for, what he prayed for,
00:36:30.471 --> 00:36:32.740
Maybe what we should pray for on occasion.
00:36:32.740 --> 00:36:35.376
His prayer for the colossians actually begins in verse 3
00:36:35.376 --> 00:36:39.847
Of the first chapter and it's in verse 9
00:36:39.847 --> 00:36:42.717
Where we find the heart of his intercession.
00:36:42.717 --> 00:36:45.519
Here from the scripture was his prayer:
00:36:45.519 --> 00:36:48.155
"that you might be filled with the knowledge
00:36:48.155 --> 00:36:50.291
Of his will in wisdom and spiritual understanding."
00:36:50.291 --> 00:36:54.929
He's praying this for the colossian believers.
00:36:54.929 --> 00:36:57.965
He begged god to fill the colossians with the knowledge
00:36:57.965 --> 00:37:00.835
Of god's will and he prayed it in a specific way.
00:37:00.835 --> 00:37:03.771
He wanted them to get this knowledge
00:37:03.771 --> 00:37:05.940
In all wisdom and understanding.
00:37:05.940 --> 00:37:08.309
Those are some big concepts, so let's break them down.
00:37:08.309 --> 00:37:11.445
The colossian believers were facing a serious challenge.
00:37:11.445 --> 00:37:15.182
False gnostic teachings were creeping into their community
00:37:15.182 --> 00:37:18.219
And threatening to lead them astray.
00:37:18.219 --> 00:37:20.688
And they were teaching incorrect ideas about god and faith.
00:37:20.688 --> 00:37:24.725
And paul wanted to replace the danger of those false ideas
00:37:24.725 --> 00:37:28.562
With true knowledge, knowledge of christ.
00:37:28.562 --> 00:37:31.365
He understood that knowledge alone wasn't enough.
00:37:31.365 --> 00:37:34.368
That is why paul prayed not just for knowledge,
00:37:34.368 --> 00:37:36.470
But for wisdom and spiritual understanding.
00:37:36.470 --> 00:37:39.206
Many christians today face a similar disconnect.
00:37:39.206 --> 00:37:43.044
They accumulate a lot of information about the bible,
00:37:43.044 --> 00:37:46.013
But they don't know how it works in their lives.
00:37:46.013 --> 00:37:48.683
It doesn't affect how they live.
00:37:48.683 --> 00:37:50.785
They know scripture, but they struggle to apply it
00:37:50.785 --> 00:37:52.820
To everyday decisions and relationships.
00:37:52.820 --> 00:37:56.290
That makes paul's prayer as relevant today as it could be.
00:37:56.290 --> 00:38:00.161
When you pray for each other, pray that god would give them
00:38:00.161 --> 00:38:02.396
Knowledge and wisdom.
00:38:02.396 --> 00:38:04.832
Someone once told me that wisdom is doing the right thing
00:38:04.832 --> 00:38:07.835
Without a precedent.
00:38:07.835 --> 00:38:09.370
And if that's true, we need that more now
00:38:09.370 --> 00:38:11.539
Than we ever have because we live in unprecedented times.
00:38:11.539 --> 00:38:14.942
Things are happening that have never happened before,
00:38:14.942 --> 00:38:17.545
And when we think about what can we do, i hear people say,
00:38:17.545 --> 00:38:21.182
"well, i guess all you can do is pray."
00:38:21.182 --> 00:38:23.284
All you can do?
00:38:23.284 --> 00:38:24.985
Come on, man, that's the best thing you can do.
00:38:24.985 --> 00:38:26.987
That's where you start.
00:38:26.987 --> 00:38:28.322
[audience applauding]
00:38:28.322 --> 00:38:32.393
Dr. jeremiah: so when we're concerned about
00:38:32.393 --> 00:38:33.728
A loved one who's struggling, we can follow paul's example.
00:38:33.728 --> 00:38:37.331
Instead of just worrying or offering advice, we can pray:
00:38:37.331 --> 00:38:40.601
"lord, fill them with knowledge of your will and all wisdom
00:38:40.601 --> 00:38:44.939
And spiritual understanding."
00:38:44.939 --> 00:38:46.874
There's always power in praying that god will equip
00:38:46.874 --> 00:38:49.810
The one you pray for with the presence of god
00:38:49.810 --> 00:38:52.480
In his own life so that he or she
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:54.081
Will know what to do.
00:38:54.081 --> 00:38:56.317
Well, that's the persistence of prayer from the gospels
00:38:56.317 --> 00:38:59.420
And the petition of paul's prayer.
00:38:59.420 --> 00:39:01.555
But let me talk to you about the possibilities of paul's prayer.
00:39:01.555 --> 00:39:05.059
For the rest of this whole message, from 3 to 14
00:39:05.059 --> 00:39:08.229
In the first chapter, there's an unfolding of paul's requests
00:39:08.229 --> 00:39:12.967
For the people of colossae.
00:39:12.967 --> 00:39:15.336
And i'll tell you what, these are five life-changing realities
00:39:15.336 --> 00:39:20.241
That flow from prayer.
00:39:20.241 --> 00:39:22.710
This is what happens when you pray.
00:39:22.710 --> 00:39:25.413
This is what can take place in your life.
00:39:25.413 --> 00:39:27.615
This is who you become when you equip yourself to do that
00:39:27.615 --> 00:39:31.252
And make a purpose of it.
00:39:31.252 --> 00:39:32.853
And you do it every day or every day that you can.
00:39:32.853 --> 00:39:35.823
Verse 10 says that when people are filled with wisdom
00:39:35.823 --> 00:39:40.327
And knowledge, they will "walk worthy of the lord,
00:39:40.327 --> 00:39:45.466
Fully pleasing him."
00:39:45.466 --> 00:39:48.202
Walk fully pleasing the lord.
00:39:48.202 --> 00:39:51.739
If we walk with knowledge and wisdom, one of the results
00:39:51.739 --> 00:39:54.542
Will be we'll be pleasing the lord and walking worthy
00:39:54.542 --> 00:39:58.646
Of our calling.
00:39:58.646 --> 00:40:00.448
When we study the word of god, we develop an understanding
00:40:00.448 --> 00:40:03.017
Of what really pleases god, and this knowledge enables us
00:40:03.017 --> 00:40:06.821
To walk worthy of god.
00:40:06.821 --> 00:40:08.756
That's what it means.
00:40:08.756 --> 00:40:10.090
Walk in a way.
00:40:10.090 --> 00:40:11.425
Walk as if you know who you're with.
00:40:11.425 --> 00:40:12.760
You're with god.
00:40:12.760 --> 00:40:14.094
Walk in a godly way.
00:40:14.094 --> 00:40:15.429
So we can please god continuously.
00:40:15.429 --> 00:40:17.798
And then number two, we can produce fruit constantly.
00:40:17.798 --> 00:40:22.303
There's a lot in the bible about being fruitful
00:40:22.303 --> 00:40:24.572
And a lot of misunderstanding about it.
00:40:24.572 --> 00:40:26.674
So i'm gonna, right in the middle of this message,
00:40:26.674 --> 00:40:28.909
Give you and us together a little tutorial.
00:40:28.909 --> 00:40:32.112
And it's based on places in the bible
00:40:32.112 --> 00:40:34.081
Where the word "fruitful" appears.
00:40:34.081 --> 00:40:35.983
What does it mean to be a fruitful christian?
00:40:35.983 --> 00:40:38.752
And i have a little paradigm, if you write it down
00:40:38.752 --> 00:40:40.921
Or think about it later you won't ever forget it.
00:40:40.921 --> 00:40:43.924
First of all, what does it mean?
00:40:43.924 --> 00:40:47.294
The bible says we're to be fruitful in every good work.
00:40:47.294 --> 00:40:51.665
That's what we should pray for.
00:40:51.665 --> 00:40:53.133
We should pray for our friends that god would
00:40:53.133 --> 00:40:54.535
Make them productive christians.
00:40:54.535 --> 00:40:56.837
You know, we need some productive christians
00:40:56.837 --> 00:40:58.239
These days.
00:40:58.239 --> 00:40:59.573
We need people who aren't just saved and satisfied
00:40:59.573 --> 00:41:01.208
And waiting for the rapture.
00:41:01.208 --> 00:41:03.043
We need people who'll get busy serving the lord.
00:41:03.043 --> 00:41:05.746
And frankly, serving the lord is the only way you can ever
00:41:05.746 --> 00:41:08.382
Express your love for the lord in a tangible way,
00:41:08.382 --> 00:41:10.951
By serving others.
00:41:10.951 --> 00:41:12.486
Galatians 5:22-23 uses the word "fruit," first of all,
00:41:12.486 --> 00:41:16.857
To describe our character.
00:41:16.857 --> 00:41:19.793
The bible says: "the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace,
00:41:19.793 --> 00:41:24.698
Longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
00:41:24.698 --> 00:41:28.102
Gentleness, self-control."
00:41:28.102 --> 00:41:31.105
So what does it mean to be fruitful?
00:41:31.105 --> 00:41:33.641
It means to have good character.
00:41:33.641 --> 00:41:36.377
If you're a christian and you have good character,
00:41:36.377 --> 00:41:40.614
You're being fruitful.
00:41:40.614 --> 00:41:42.449
Second, the conduct of your life is also a fruit.
00:41:42.449 --> 00:41:45.185
Romans 6:22 says: "but now having been set free from sin,
00:41:45.185 --> 00:41:49.356
And having become slaves of god, you have your fruit
00:41:49.356 --> 00:41:52.459
To holiness."
00:41:52.459 --> 00:41:54.228
You don't have to be perfect, but as you grow
00:41:54.228 --> 00:41:57.231
In the perfection of christ, he uses you better
00:41:57.231 --> 00:42:00.701
When you're walking in character and in the right conduct.
00:42:00.701 --> 00:42:04.004
We bear fruit through our character,
00:42:04.004 --> 00:42:06.507
Which is who we are.
00:42:06.507 --> 00:42:08.776
We bear fruit through our conduct, which is what we do.
00:42:08.776 --> 00:42:12.846
And the bible speaks of our conversation.
00:42:12.846 --> 00:42:15.516
Did you know that how you speak is fruitfulness?
00:42:15.516 --> 00:42:19.119
"therefore," hebrews 13:15, "by him let us continually
00:42:19.119 --> 00:42:24.425
Offer the sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips,
00:42:24.425 --> 00:42:30.731
Giving thanks to his name."
00:42:30.731 --> 00:42:33.200
The bible says that when we sing or praise or glorify god
00:42:33.200 --> 00:42:37.838
It's the fruit of worship.
00:42:37.838 --> 00:42:39.840
When we're worshiping, we're being fruitful.
00:42:39.840 --> 00:42:42.643
So we're building a little construct here.
00:42:42.643 --> 00:42:45.446
What is fruit?
00:42:45.446 --> 00:42:46.780
It's character, who you are.
00:42:46.780 --> 00:42:48.849
It's conduct, what you do.
00:42:48.849 --> 00:42:51.418
It's conversation, what you say.
00:42:51.418 --> 00:42:53.988
And the fourth is, it is monetary contributions to god.
00:42:53.988 --> 00:42:58.359
When you give money to the church or to the lord
00:42:58.359 --> 00:43:00.728
Through the church, this is what it says.
00:43:00.728 --> 00:43:03.130
I'm going to read to you from philippians,
00:43:03.130 --> 00:43:05.265
Where paul illustrates this principle.
00:43:05.265 --> 00:43:07.968
"for even in thessalonica you sent aid once and again
00:43:07.968 --> 00:43:12.673
For my necessities."
00:43:12.673 --> 00:43:14.141
He's talking about the offering that they gave him.
00:43:14.141 --> 00:43:16.377
"not that i seek the gift, but i seek the fruit
00:43:16.377 --> 00:43:20.914
That abounds to your account."
00:43:20.914 --> 00:43:22.816
Paul says, "i'm not interested so much in the gift,
00:43:22.816 --> 00:43:24.918
But i'm really excited because when you give,
00:43:24.918 --> 00:43:27.488
That fruit abounds to your account."
00:43:27.488 --> 00:43:29.657
When we fund god's work that's another evidence
00:43:29.657 --> 00:43:32.726
Of being fruitful.
00:43:32.726 --> 00:43:34.261
As we grow in knowledge and in the wisdom of christ
00:43:34.261 --> 00:43:37.064
We become fruitful givers.
00:43:37.064 --> 00:43:40.234
We rejoice in worshiping god in our tithes and offerings.
00:43:40.234 --> 00:43:44.872
So are you getting all of this?
00:43:44.872 --> 00:43:47.007
Character is who you are.
00:43:47.007 --> 00:43:49.309
Conduct is what you do.
00:43:49.309 --> 00:43:51.378
Conversations is what you say.
00:43:51.378 --> 00:43:53.547
Contributions is what you give.
00:43:53.547 --> 00:43:56.316
Fifth, the bible speaks of converts, who you win.
00:43:56.316 --> 00:43:59.653
Now i'm going to say this, most people think the only way
00:43:59.653 --> 00:44:02.489
You can be fruitful as a christian is to win souls.
00:44:02.489 --> 00:44:05.526
And i don't want to in any way downgrade the importance
00:44:05.526 --> 00:44:08.462
Of doing that.
00:44:08.462 --> 00:44:09.963
But winning souls is only one aspect of being fruitful.
00:44:09.963 --> 00:44:13.801
It's a very important one and in the respect of cause and effect,
00:44:13.801 --> 00:44:17.705
If you win somebody else you add someone else to the family
00:44:17.705 --> 00:44:20.040
Of god, that's really true.
00:44:20.040 --> 00:44:22.376
But proverbs 11:30 says it this way: "the fruit of the righteous
00:44:22.376 --> 00:44:27.381
Is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise."
00:44:27.381 --> 00:44:33.320
Paul called the new believers in achaia the first fruits
00:44:33.320 --> 00:44:37.991
Because they were the first of many who were coming to christ.
00:44:37.991 --> 00:44:40.928
He called them the first fruits, the first christians.
00:44:40.928 --> 00:44:43.797
Whenever we're planting gospel seed,
00:44:43.797 --> 00:44:46.366
We're always leading to a harvest.
00:44:46.366 --> 00:44:48.368
If we put the seed in the ground,
00:44:48.368 --> 00:44:50.070
We may not see it be watered,
00:44:50.070 --> 00:44:51.739
But we know if god is in it, he will see
00:44:51.739 --> 00:44:53.340
That it gets watered and finally harvested.
00:44:53.340 --> 00:44:56.276
Early in my ministry i had the opportunity
00:44:56.276 --> 00:44:58.846
To lead a certain man to jesus christ.
00:44:58.846 --> 00:45:01.281
I'll never forget this man.
00:45:01.281 --> 00:45:02.716
He was 6'9" and he weighed 300 pounds.
00:45:02.716 --> 00:45:06.120
You should have seen me baptize this dude.
00:45:06.120 --> 00:45:07.821
Oh my god, i'll never forget that.
00:45:07.821 --> 00:45:09.890
We displaced water into the choir loft.
00:45:09.890 --> 00:45:12.192
It was unreal.
00:45:12.192 --> 00:45:13.727
But one night, a few months after he got saved,
00:45:13.727 --> 00:45:16.997
He called me
00:45:16.997 --> 00:45:18.365
And it was at 1 o'clock in the morning, i remember.
00:45:18.365 --> 00:45:20.434
He said, "pastor, this is gene mccoy."
00:45:20.434 --> 00:45:22.936
I said, "what do you want, gene?
00:45:22.936 --> 00:45:25.339
It's kind of late."
00:45:25.339 --> 00:45:26.740
He said, "i just want to say congratulations,
00:45:26.740 --> 00:45:28.408
You're a grandfather."
00:45:28.408 --> 00:45:30.444
I said, "what does that mean?"
00:45:30.444 --> 00:45:32.379
He said, "well, i just led a friend of mine to christ.
00:45:32.379 --> 00:45:35.916
You led me to christ, that makes you his grandfather."
00:45:35.916 --> 00:45:40.020
And, you know, there is some truth in that,
00:45:40.020 --> 00:45:45.592
Although god doesn't have any grandchildren,
00:45:45.592 --> 00:45:48.328
It is true that when we bear fruit,
00:45:48.328 --> 00:45:52.232
It is also not just on us,
00:45:52.232 --> 00:45:54.601
It's a glorification of the lord too.
00:45:54.601 --> 00:45:56.270
It goes back to the original.
00:45:56.270 --> 00:45:57.704
He's the source of the gospel.
00:45:57.704 --> 00:45:59.206
We're just the communicators of it.
00:45:59.206 --> 00:46:01.708
Now think of how your prayers can begin to prompt these things
00:46:01.708 --> 00:46:05.245
In the life of someone else as they grow in knowledge
00:46:05.245 --> 00:46:08.382
And spiritual wisdom according to your requests for them.
00:46:08.382 --> 00:46:11.285
The result of having knowledge with wisdom
00:46:11.285 --> 00:46:14.988
Is that these things happen.
00:46:14.988 --> 00:46:16.423
This is what paul says.
00:46:16.423 --> 00:46:18.125
We can please god continually.
00:46:18.125 --> 00:46:20.527
We can produce fruit constantly.
00:46:20.527 --> 00:46:22.963
And now it says we can progress in knowledge, too.
00:46:22.963 --> 00:46:27.534
For those for whom we pray, we can pray that god will help them
00:46:27.534 --> 00:46:31.271
To "walk worthy of the lord, fully pleasing him,
00:46:31.271 --> 00:46:34.708
Being fruitful in every good work
00:46:34.708 --> 00:46:36.510
And increasing in the knowledge of god."
00:46:36.510 --> 00:46:40.581
That's a pretty good goal to have.
00:46:40.581 --> 00:46:42.583
I don't know if you ever do that,
00:46:42.583 --> 00:46:44.084
But i do it when i have an anniversary.
00:46:44.084 --> 00:46:47.321
Look back over your life and say,
00:46:47.321 --> 00:46:49.756
What more do i know about the lord
00:46:49.756 --> 00:46:51.792
Than i did last year at this time?
00:46:51.792 --> 00:46:53.994
How am i growing in my knowledge of god?
00:46:53.994 --> 00:46:56.363
It's easy to just get in and coast,
00:46:56.363 --> 00:46:59.600
To know that you're going to heaven
00:46:59.600 --> 00:47:01.101
And be thankful for that
00:47:01.101 --> 00:47:02.769
And then just go back to kind of a normal life
00:47:02.769 --> 00:47:05.339
That doesn't really make a difference.
00:47:05.339 --> 00:47:07.507
And that's what most of the world would say would be fine,
00:47:07.507 --> 00:47:11.411
But it's not fine according to the scripture.
00:47:11.411 --> 00:47:14.047
So we can please god continuously,
00:47:14.047 --> 00:47:16.884
We can produce fruit constantly,
00:47:16.884 --> 00:47:19.119
We can progress in knowledge consistently,
00:47:19.119 --> 00:47:21.555
And here's one for all of us right now:
00:47:21.555 --> 00:47:24.391
We can persevere under pressure, cheerfully.
00:47:24.391 --> 00:47:30.063
Look at paul's prayer again.
00:47:30.063 --> 00:47:31.398
He asked god to fill the colossians
00:47:31.398 --> 00:47:33.433
With the knowledge of his will,
00:47:33.433 --> 00:47:35.502
With all spiritual understanding
00:47:35.502 --> 00:47:37.204
So that "they might be strengthened with all might,
00:47:37.204 --> 00:47:40.774
According to his glorious power,
00:47:40.774 --> 00:47:43.043
For all patience and longsuffering with joy," wow.
00:47:43.043 --> 00:47:48.415
One thing leads to another.
00:47:48.415 --> 00:47:49.850
When you pray for someone, it triggers a domino effect
00:47:49.850 --> 00:47:52.486
Of grace in their lives, leading to their ability
00:47:52.486 --> 00:47:55.088
To persevere under pressure.
00:47:55.088 --> 00:47:57.824
Now, in the past when i've seen these words "power" and "might"
00:47:57.824 --> 00:48:01.795
And "strength," i've thought, "well, that's for the big test.
00:48:01.795 --> 00:48:04.898
When the big test comes, that's what you need."
00:48:04.898 --> 00:48:07.167
When i have had to stand up against some daunting problem,
00:48:07.167 --> 00:48:10.337
And i've had a few of those in my life,
00:48:10.337 --> 00:48:12.773
But i've also been learning something else.
00:48:12.773 --> 00:48:15.342
I think where you really need power, might, and strength
00:48:15.342 --> 00:48:20.247
Is not for the momentary challenges,
00:48:20.247 --> 00:48:22.749
But for the long haul.
00:48:22.749 --> 00:48:25.252
The christian life isn't a 100-yard dash, it's a marathon.
00:48:25.252 --> 00:48:30.424
And paul's prayer for the patience and endurance
00:48:30.424 --> 00:48:32.592
Of the colossian believers, they were having their issues.
00:48:32.592 --> 00:48:35.762
And he was praying that god would give them real strength
00:48:35.762 --> 00:48:39.132
And power, not so they could get over the hump,
00:48:39.132 --> 00:48:42.269
But so they could maintain the ministry and the reality
00:48:42.269 --> 00:48:45.872
Of the christ life for a long period of time.
00:48:45.872 --> 00:48:48.976
Paul goes on to say that when we are filled with wisdom
00:48:48.976 --> 00:48:53.246
And knowledge, we please god continually,
00:48:53.246 --> 00:48:56.783
We produce fruit constantly,
00:48:56.783 --> 00:48:59.119
We progress in knowledge consistently,
00:48:59.119 --> 00:49:01.421
And we persevere under pressure cheerfully.
00:49:01.421 --> 00:49:05.225
Note, it's not just get through it, but get through it with joy.
00:49:05.225 --> 00:49:10.063
Oh wow, that adds a little to it too.
00:49:10.063 --> 00:49:13.066
And number five, we praise god correctly.
00:49:13.066 --> 00:49:16.837
He ends this with verse 12 which says:
00:49:16.837 --> 00:49:19.006
"giving thanks to the father."
00:49:19.006 --> 00:49:22.109
And it brings us all the way back to the praise
00:49:22.109 --> 00:49:23.910
And thanksgiving with which the prayer began.
00:49:23.910 --> 00:49:26.780
If you study verses 12 through 14
00:49:26.780 --> 00:49:29.483
You will see how paul settles into this theme
00:49:29.483 --> 00:49:32.652
Giving us four great reasons for praise.
00:49:32.652 --> 00:49:35.856
He says: "giving thanks to the father who has qualified us to
00:49:35.856 --> 00:49:39.092
Be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
00:49:39.092 --> 00:49:43.263
He has delivered us from the power of darkness
00:49:43.263 --> 00:49:46.066
And conveyed us into the kingdom of the son
00:49:46.066 --> 00:49:48.535
Of his love, in whom we have redemption
00:49:48.535 --> 00:49:50.537
Through his blood, the forgiveness of sin."
00:49:50.537 --> 00:49:52.939
In my notes, i outline these verses.
00:49:52.939 --> 00:49:56.643
These verses are very powerful.
00:49:56.643 --> 00:49:59.079
First of all, we thank god because he remade us.
00:49:59.079 --> 00:50:03.216
When we were saved, we were remade.
00:50:03.216 --> 00:50:06.453
God made us so we could claim our inheritance,
00:50:06.453 --> 00:50:08.622
The inheritance of the saints and the light.
00:50:08.622 --> 00:50:11.158
Because we've been remade, now we're able to live for god
00:50:11.158 --> 00:50:14.561
In the darkness of this world.
00:50:14.561 --> 00:50:16.696
We've come out of the world of darkness into the kingdom
00:50:16.696 --> 00:50:19.299
Of light and god made us-- he made it possible for us
00:50:19.299 --> 00:50:22.102
To live in that kingdom.
00:50:22.102 --> 00:50:24.071
We couldn't live in that kingdom the way we were.
00:50:24.071 --> 00:50:26.273
There was nothing holy about any of us, let's face it.
00:50:26.273 --> 00:50:29.076
You don't live in the kingdom of righteousness
00:50:29.076 --> 00:50:31.378
With an unholy life and an unholy heart.
00:50:31.378 --> 00:50:34.247
Next, we can praise god because he rescued us.
00:50:34.314 --> 00:50:37.250
Paul says: "he has delivered us from the power of darkness."
00:50:37.250 --> 00:50:41.288
How many of you remember the day you got rescued, you know,
00:50:41.288 --> 00:50:44.257
When god came into your life and he just took you over, amen.
00:50:44.257 --> 00:50:48.028
[audience applauding]
00:50:48.028 --> 00:50:50.430
Dr. jeremiah: and then the bible says that we praise god
00:50:50.430 --> 00:50:52.966
Because he relocated us.
00:50:52.966 --> 00:50:56.036
He conveyed us into the kingdom of the son of his love.
00:50:56.036 --> 00:50:59.272
We once lived over here, but god came into our lives
00:50:59.272 --> 00:51:03.043
And changed everything, and he moved us over here.
00:51:03.043 --> 00:51:05.679
Now we live on kingdom of god street, amen?
00:51:05.679 --> 00:51:09.449
And all this happens because, as paul told the colossians,
00:51:09.449 --> 00:51:13.386
He has redeemed us.
00:51:13.386 --> 00:51:15.522
He wrote: "in whom we have redemption through his blood,
00:51:15.522 --> 00:51:19.259
The forgiveness of sins."
00:51:19.259 --> 00:51:20.961
Now to redeem someone means to buy them back
00:51:20.961 --> 00:51:23.063
And to set them free.
00:51:23.063 --> 00:51:25.031
Jesus's death was the price that was necessary to buy us back.
00:51:25.031 --> 00:51:29.669
We were on the market of sin.
00:51:29.669 --> 00:51:31.471
The bible says when we're not saved,
00:51:31.471 --> 00:51:33.507
We're like people who are slaves.
00:51:33.507 --> 00:51:35.542
And we have no will of our own until jesus comes
00:51:35.542 --> 00:51:37.644
And sets us free.
00:51:37.644 --> 00:51:39.346
And then we become his people
00:51:39.346 --> 00:51:40.914
And we become set free from slavery.
00:51:40.914 --> 00:51:43.316
And that's why he has given us this prayer to offer
00:51:43.316 --> 00:51:46.286
For ourselves and to others.
00:51:46.286 --> 00:51:48.321
If it was good enough for him to pray this prayer
00:51:48.321 --> 00:51:50.056
For the colossians,
00:51:50.056 --> 00:51:51.658
It's good enough for him to teach us this prayer as well.
00:51:51.658 --> 00:51:56.963
I began this chapter with a story about a missionary
00:51:56.963 --> 00:51:59.766
Named raymond edman,
00:51:59.766 --> 00:52:01.201
And i want to end this chapter and this message
00:52:01.201 --> 00:52:04.671
With another missionary story.
00:52:04.671 --> 00:52:07.207
In 1908, james fraser left a promising engineering career
00:52:07.207 --> 00:52:13.013
To become a missionary to the lisu people of china.
00:52:13.013 --> 00:52:17.384
The remote mountainous region made gathering
00:52:17.384 --> 00:52:19.686
For church services nearly impossible in winter,
00:52:19.686 --> 00:52:23.089
Frustrating his plans,
00:52:23.089 --> 00:52:24.858
But he came to believe god was in the obstacle.
00:52:24.858 --> 00:52:28.795
Realizing it took three to five days for each church visit,
00:52:28.795 --> 00:52:32.966
Fraser asked, what if i spent that time praying instead?
00:52:32.966 --> 00:52:37.804
He committed to interceding for the highland believers
00:52:37.804 --> 00:52:40.740
During the snowy months rather than trying to get to them
00:52:40.740 --> 00:52:43.710
Through the troubling times.
00:52:43.710 --> 00:52:45.812
And when spring arrived, fraser climbed the mountains
00:52:45.812 --> 00:52:49.149
To find his converts thriving.
00:52:49.149 --> 00:52:51.785
Their personal bible study and prayer had strengthened them
00:52:51.785 --> 00:52:54.521
More than when he had visited them before.
00:52:54.521 --> 00:52:57.991
From that day on, he was determined never to fret
00:52:57.991 --> 00:53:00.594
When he could not gather people, but always to seize it
00:53:00.594 --> 00:53:04.364
As an opportunity to pray for people instead.
00:53:04.364 --> 00:53:08.268
And by the way, today there are 935,000 lisu in southern china.
00:53:08.268 --> 00:53:15.141
More than 400,000 are christians.
00:53:15.141 --> 00:53:19.079
[audience applauding]
00:53:19.079 --> 00:53:23.250
Dr. jeremiah: raymond edman, the apostle paul, and james fraser
00:53:23.250 --> 00:53:27.087
Were all convinced of the power of intercessory prayer.
00:53:27.087 --> 00:53:31.024
Take out paul's prayer in colossians 1:9-14
00:53:31.024 --> 00:53:34.728
And make it your own.
00:53:34.728 --> 00:53:36.663
Ask god to give you the name of someone for whom you can pray
00:53:36.663 --> 00:53:39.199
And then put their name in colossians 1
00:53:39.199 --> 00:53:43.036
And you will never know what will happen.
00:53:43.036 --> 00:53:45.305
We believe in the power of prayer,
00:53:45.305 --> 00:53:46.740
We just don't believe in the practice of it.
00:53:46.740 --> 00:53:49.909
And you know, it's one thing to say, "oh yeah,
00:53:49.909 --> 00:53:51.578
Prayer's wonderful," until you don't do it.
00:53:51.578 --> 00:53:54.147
And i'll be honest with you, becoming active and religious
00:53:54.147 --> 00:53:58.485
And disciplined in that prayer discipline
00:53:58.485 --> 00:54:03.123
Is one of the hardest things you do as a christian.
00:54:03.123 --> 00:54:05.792
But once you get there and you get in the right place, you'll
00:54:05.792 --> 00:54:08.828
Discover there is a sanctuary in your prayer time with the lord
00:54:08.828 --> 00:54:14.034
That takes you away from every pressure
00:54:14.034 --> 00:54:16.603
And burden in this world.
00:54:16.603 --> 00:54:18.305
And for a short time, you can understand sweet hour of prayer,
00:54:18.305 --> 00:54:22.409
Sweet hour of prayer.
00:54:22.409 --> 00:54:24.711
That's what the bible teaches.
00:54:24.711 --> 00:54:26.813
We believe it.
00:54:26.813 --> 00:54:28.181
Now let's go and practice it, okay?
00:54:28.181 --> 00:54:30.216
Amen.
00:54:30.216 --> 00:54:31.685
[audience applauding]
00:54:31.685 --> 00:54:38.325
Announcer: thank you for watching "turning point."
00:54:38.391 --> 00:54:40.493
Dr. jeremiah would like to offer you his new book,
00:54:40.493 --> 00:54:43.029
"everything to god in prayer:
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Guided prayers for your deepest needs and biggest dreams,"
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Containing 100 carefully crafted prayers
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For life's challenges and celebrations.
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These guided prayers will help you pray with confidence
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Announcer: if you have never taken the step to believe in
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Watch the entire "prayer: the great adventure" series
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Announcer: next time on "turning point."
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Dr. jeremiah: ask god to give you a forgiving heart,
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Breathe out your prayers in an atmosphere of grace.
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You will be so surprised if you do this,
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How wonderful it will be to pray again in the right way.
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Announcer: thank you for being with us today.
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Join dr. jeremiah next time for his message,
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"why don't my prayers get answered?"
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David Jeremiah - Prayer, Pagans, and Pretenders

August 31, 2025 | 58:20

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