1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. We're so glad 2 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: to have you listening. I'm Lynette Kittle and today's topic 3 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: is is prayer more than enough? We'll be right back 4 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: after a brief message from our sponsor. Is Prayer more 5 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: than Enough? Written and read by Lynette Kittle? If you 6 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: can said Jesus, everything is possible for one who believes 7 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: Mark nine twenty three. How often do we pray believing 8 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 1: it will take more than prayer to receive our answer? 9 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: By that meaning, do we or someone else need to 10 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: do something in addition to our praying for God to 11 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: answer us? Do we tend to believe that we have 12 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: to give money or volunteer along with prayer, that it's 13 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,199 Speaker 1: not enough in itself for God to answer and move 14 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: on our behalf? Are we struggling to believe thinking we 15 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: can't just ask and rely on Him to answer our 16 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: prayers without adding to them in some way through our 17 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: own efforts. Fox News reports researchers from a University of 18 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: Maryland's School of Medicines Department of Family and Community Medicine 19 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: study found that adult patients experienced significant relief from pain 20 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 1: and anxiety after just five minutes of in person prayer 21 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: more than from listening to five minutes of music. The 22 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: finding indicates that in person prayer provides more sustained and 23 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: greater relief from both pain and anxiety than listening to music. 24 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: Scripture describes how David, as a shepherd boy, played his 25 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: harp to soothe King Saul. So history documents the popular 26 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: pop saying music sues the savage beast. As for Samuel 27 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 1: sixteen twenty three describes whenever the spirit from God came 28 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: on Saul, David would take up his leer and play. 29 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: That relief would come to Saul, he would feel better, 30 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,119 Speaker 1: and the evil spirit would leave him. If God gave 31 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: David's music the power to bring relief, how much more 32 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: has he given prayer the power to intervene in our lives. 33 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: Mark nine twenty two reveals a man who wasn't sure 34 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,679 Speaker 1: if Jesus could help his son who is being tormented, 35 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: explaining and asking it has often thrown him into fire 36 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: or water to kill him. But if you could do anything, 37 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: take pity on us and help us. I love how 38 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: Jesus answers questioning the Father, clarifying to him and to 39 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: us that it's not a question. Of whether he can, 40 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: it's a given because everything is possible with God, but 41 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: rather whether we believe he can. It's not up to him, 42 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: but up to us to believe words we need to 43 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: take to heart, because how many times before praying do 44 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: we preface our requests by Lord, if you can? But 45 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: God doesn't want us asking him if he can, but 46 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: to believe that He is more than enough. As Jesus 47 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: taught in John fifteen seven, if you remain in me 48 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, 49 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: and it will be done for you. He is calling 50 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: us to believe that all things are possible with Him, 51 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: As he explained in Matthew nineteen twenty six, Jesus looked 52 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: at them and said, with man, this is impossible, but 53 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: with God, all things are possible. So if we struggle 54 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: to believe, lacking in faith when we ask God, we 55 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: can follow this father's example, as described in Mark nine 56 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: twenty four. Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe. 57 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: Help me to overcome my unbelief. A powerful example of 58 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: prayer being enough is found in the Old Testament Book 59 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: of Joshua. On the day the Lord gave the Amorites 60 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: over to Israel. Joshua said to the Lord in the 61 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: presence of Israel, son, stand still over Gibeon, and you 62 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: moon over the valley of Ajalan Joshua ten twelve. Many 63 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 1: of us wouldn't even attempt asking so boldly such an 64 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: unlikely and seemingly impossible prayer. Yet Joshua did ask, and 65 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 1: when he did, the following happened. So the sun stood 66 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: still and the moon stopped till the nation avenged itself 67 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: on its enemies. As it is written in the Book 68 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: of Josha, the sun stopped in the middle of the 69 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 1: sky and delayed going down about a full day Joshua 70 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: ten twelve. Sadly, many of us disqualify our request to 71 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: God before even asking him, deciding that we're asking too 72 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: much or more than God can do. We make the 73 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: decision ahead of time, rather than asking him and seeing 74 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: what happens. As James four to two explains, you do 75 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 1: not have because you do not ask God. Intersecting faith 76 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: in life, do you find yourself praying but believing it's 77 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: not enough. Ask God to help your unbelief and to 78 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: teach you how to believe that he can, and that 79 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: prayer is more than enough. Further reading does prayer really 80 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: change things? Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you 81 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: liked what you heard today, we want to make sure 82 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: you know about our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When 83 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 1: you follow your Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, 84 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: you'll get a brand new prayer and devotional each day, 85 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: so your days begin in conversation with God. If you're 86 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: looking to grow in prayer or start your day with 87 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:17,479 Speaker 1: your heart focused on the right things, search for your 88 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app and be sure 89 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,600 Speaker 1: to follow the show so you get a new prayer 90 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: delivered straight to you each morning.