WEBVTT - How to Fight with Prayer

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you tired of trying to figure out everything on

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<v Speaker 1>your own? Are you weary from trying to fight the

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<v Speaker 1>same battles over and over again? In today's episode, I

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<v Speaker 1>want to teach you how to fight the battles of

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<v Speaker 1>a life with the power of prayer. Welcome back, friend.

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<v Speaker 1>You are listening to the Teach Us to Pray podcast,

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<v Speaker 1>where we teach believers practical and real life tips on

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<v Speaker 1>how to grow your faith and relationship with God through

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<v Speaker 1>the power of prayer. I'm Christina Patterson, host of the

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<v Speaker 1>Teachers to Pray podcast and founder of the Loved Women,

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<v Speaker 1>where I have the honor to encourage, equip and empower

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<v Speaker 1>women in the love of Jesus Christ and the truth

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<v Speaker 1>of God's Word. Have you ever felt like the entire

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<v Speaker 1>world was coming against you. Everything that you wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>happen wasn't happening, and things were just not going your way.

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<v Speaker 1>You're having issues in your relationships and there are just

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<v Speaker 1>so many elements out of your control. In these types

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<v Speaker 1>of seasons, it's easy to want to become defensive, put

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<v Speaker 1>our guard up, and fight. But you know what, I

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<v Speaker 1>was thinking about this the other day in a conversation

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<v Speaker 1>with a friend, which I'll tell you a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>more about later, But God reminded me that we cannot

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<v Speaker 1>forget that He is actively involved in our lives, even

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<v Speaker 1>in our fights, I would say a special in our fights.

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<v Speaker 1>When we feel like our back is up against the wall,

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<v Speaker 1>our natural response is to want to handle it ourselves,

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<v Speaker 1>is to want to take things into our own hands.

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<v Speaker 1>And it's easy then to forget that we have a

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<v Speaker 1>God that fights for us. In fact, when we are

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<v Speaker 1>in a battle, God tells us to be still. Psalm

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<v Speaker 1>forty six, Verse ten says, be still and know that

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<v Speaker 1>I am God. I will be exalted among the nations,

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<v Speaker 1>I will be exalted in the earth. God's reputation is

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<v Speaker 1>attached to your victory in this battle, and he will

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<v Speaker 1>fight for you. He tells us that we only need

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<v Speaker 1>to be still and know that it is he that

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<v Speaker 1>is God. Now that doesn't mean that we don't do anything.

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<v Speaker 1>It just means that instead of trying to operate in

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<v Speaker 1>our own strength, we operate in a trust that God

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<v Speaker 1>has our backs. It's interesting because this morning I was

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<v Speaker 1>doing my devotional and as I write in my journal,

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<v Speaker 1>I always write out a scripture of the day, and

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<v Speaker 1>it's just a scripture that I feel like relates to

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<v Speaker 1>my current season in life and what I'm about to

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<v Speaker 1>pray about, and it just reminds me of God's truth

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<v Speaker 1>before I go into prayer. Today, my scripture was Proverbs three,

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<v Speaker 1>verse five that says trust in the Lord with all

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<v Speaker 1>your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>our understanding says I need to fight this out, I

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<v Speaker 1>need to get in this person's face, I need to

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<v Speaker 1>do all these things. In fact, I need to do

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<v Speaker 1>more and more and more. That's what we think, But

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible tells us that we need to instead trust

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<v Speaker 1>in the Lord with all our heart. See put our

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<v Speaker 1>trust in our actions. We put our trust in what

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<v Speaker 1>we can do, and it never fails that that does

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<v Speaker 1>not lead to the victory that we desire. But when

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<v Speaker 1>we truly trust God, it helps us to be victorious

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<v Speaker 1>in the battles that we will face in life. Let

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<v Speaker 1>me explain what that means. Also, in my devotional time,

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<v Speaker 1>I came across this quote from Marshawn Evans Daniels, and

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<v Speaker 1>she was talking about the difference between faith and trust.

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<v Speaker 1>Faith is believing in God, but trust is actually acting

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<v Speaker 1>like God has your back. This is what she said.

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<v Speaker 1>We can believe that God is capable of all things,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's another thing to fully and trust God with

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<v Speaker 1>every area of our lives. By in trust, I mean

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<v Speaker 1>to act as if God has already worked things out,

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<v Speaker 1>versus questioning whether He will come through. And that quote

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<v Speaker 1>really challenged me this morning, and I hope that it

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<v Speaker 1>challenges you to ask yourself the question, how would I

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<v Speaker 1>act if I trusted God in this battle? Would I

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<v Speaker 1>try to be defensive in fight? Would I be operating

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<v Speaker 1>out of anxiety and fear, or would I boldly take

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<v Speaker 1>the next step in faith knowing that God has my back. Again,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not saying you don't do anything, but your actions

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<v Speaker 1>should be rooted in a trust in God, in knowing

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<v Speaker 1>that He is God, as Psalm forty six tells us,

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<v Speaker 1>and not in our own abilities. I think about King David,

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<v Speaker 1>who was the only Israelite that was willing to face

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<v Speaker 1>the giant Goliath when the Israelites were in battle against

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<v Speaker 1>the Philistines. If you remember the Bible story, the Philistines

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<v Speaker 1>were in war against the Israelite and they presented their

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<v Speaker 1>greatest warrior, Goliath, and said, whoever can defeat him will

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<v Speaker 1>win this war. Well, none of the Israelite soldiers were

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<v Speaker 1>willing to combat him and face him one on one

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<v Speaker 1>because they were intimidated by him. Everyone except for David.

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<v Speaker 1>And David wasn't even a warrior. So how could David

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<v Speaker 1>have had such boldness to face Goliath when nobody else would?

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<v Speaker 1>What gave him a trust in God to be able

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<v Speaker 1>to face this battle without fear? I want you to

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<v Speaker 1>listen to what David says before he defeats Goliath in

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<v Speaker 1>First Samuel chapter seventeen Versus forty six or forty seven.

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<v Speaker 1>He says, this day the Lord will deliver you into

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<v Speaker 1>my hand, and I will strike you down and cut

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<v Speaker 1>off your head. I will give the dead bodies of

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<v Speaker 1>the host of the Philistines this day to the birds

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<v Speaker 1>of the air and to the wild beast of the earth,

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<v Speaker 1>that all the earth may know that there is a

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<v Speaker 1>God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know

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<v Speaker 1>that God saves not with sword and spear for the

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<v Speaker 1>battle is the Lord's and he will give you into

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<v Speaker 1>our hands. If we look at David's words here, we

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<v Speaker 1>can see that he's not putting his trust in himself.

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<v Speaker 1>He's not trying to do all these things and get

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<v Speaker 1>a sword and a spear. Actually, we know that he

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<v Speaker 1>fought with a slang shot in some rocks to defeat Goliath,

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<v Speaker 1>and so he wasn't operating in his own strength. He

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<v Speaker 1>knew that God was with him. Now, he didn't do

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<v Speaker 1>nothing because he did face Goliath, but he did so

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<v Speaker 1>with the knowledge of God that gave him the trust

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<v Speaker 1>to do feet his enemy. I was talking to a

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<v Speaker 1>friend the other day and she made such a fascinating

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<v Speaker 1>point that I've shared a little bit here on the podcast,

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<v Speaker 1>but I never thought about it in this particular perspective.

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<v Speaker 1>She was talking about how after the apostle Paul in

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<v Speaker 1>Ephesian six tells us to put on the armor of God,

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<v Speaker 1>he then calls believers to pray. I have an entire

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<v Speaker 1>podcast on that topic called how to Pray Against Spiritual Warfare.

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<v Speaker 1>Be sure to check that out if you have the chance.

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<v Speaker 1>But in it, I talk about how we talk about

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<v Speaker 1>how to have faith and use the word of God

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<v Speaker 1>and all the types of the armor that we are

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<v Speaker 1>told to put on, but then we are to pray.

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<v Speaker 1>My friend made the point that we're putting on all

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<v Speaker 1>this armor not to go to war ourselves, but to

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<v Speaker 1>go to God in prayer. What that means is we

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<v Speaker 1>aren't putting on that armor to go to battle in

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<v Speaker 1>our own strength, but to go to battle in God's strength.

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<v Speaker 1>And how do we go to battle in God's strength?

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<v Speaker 1>We pray, We pray to God. As I was having

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<v Speaker 1>this conversation with my friend, my husband made an excellent point.

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<v Speaker 1>He said, you know a lot of times we want

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<v Speaker 1>to fight, we want to figure things out on our own,

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<v Speaker 1>but we are not warriors. God has angels that he

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<v Speaker 1>sends to fight his battles for him. If you think

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<v Speaker 1>about Daniel and you think about him praying to the God,

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<v Speaker 1>praying to God for understanding of his dream, and angel

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<v Speaker 1>came to him to give him understanding. But the angel said, listen,

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<v Speaker 1>I had some battles that I had to go through

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<v Speaker 1>to get to you before I could give you understanding

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<v Speaker 1>about this vision, this dream that you've had. And so

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<v Speaker 1>we know that God sends his angel to fight for him.

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<v Speaker 1>My husband made the point that even Jesus in the

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<v Speaker 1>garden of Gaycimite when he was being arrested, Peter wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to fight. What did he do? He pulled out his

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<v Speaker 1>sword and he cut off one of the people ears

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<v Speaker 1>that was trying to arrest Jesus, and Jesus miraculously healed

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<v Speaker 1>the man's ear and said, no, do you not understand.

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<v Speaker 1>I could send angels to come down and fight this

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<v Speaker 1>battle for me if I wanted to. He was saying, Peter,

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<v Speaker 1>this is not your battle to fight. The battle is

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<v Speaker 1>the lord's. So if the angels are God's messengers and

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<v Speaker 1>they are his fighters, who are we? But hus have

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<v Speaker 1>made it clear we are God's children. We are God's children.

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<v Speaker 1>Now don't take that lightly, because a child has tremendous

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<v Speaker 1>influence in the life of their family. If we are

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<v Speaker 1>God's children, how much more will he answer our prayers

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<v Speaker 1>when we are in battle. The Bible tells us that

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<v Speaker 1>we serve a good father who will not withhold good

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<v Speaker 1>things from his children. And just that conversation and that

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<v Speaker 1>revelation really just fired me up and was like, I

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<v Speaker 1>need to pray even more because I am a child

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<v Speaker 1>of God. And when I pray, it releases God to

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<v Speaker 1>fight on my behalf, and I know that he will

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<v Speaker 1>because I am his child. So I want to encourage

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<v Speaker 1>you today, as you are facing your battles, to pray

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<v Speaker 1>for God's will, pray for his desired outcome and that

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<v Speaker 1>your heart will be aligned with his, and then trust

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<v Speaker 1>that whatever that is, it will be for your good

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<v Speaker 1>and God's glory. I want you to pray for God's

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<v Speaker 1>protection and his peace as you endure as you wait

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<v Speaker 1>for him. Then I want you to pray for God's

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<v Speaker 1>strength to wait. Isaiah forty tells us that those who

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<v Speaker 1>wait on the Lord will be strengthened, not those who

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<v Speaker 1>get ahead of him and try to fight the battle

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<v Speaker 1>without him, but those who wait will be strengthened. Dear

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<v Speaker 1>Heavenly Father, I just pray for all of my listeners

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<v Speaker 1>today that might be facing battles that seem overwhelming and

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<v Speaker 1>daunting and they don't know what to do. Lord, I

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<v Speaker 1>pray you will help us to resist the urge to

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<v Speaker 1>fight in our own strength God and our own understanding,

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<v Speaker 1>and to truly trust you God. Trust you to take

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<v Speaker 1>our worries to you. Trust you to take our cares

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<v Speaker 1>to you. Trust you to let you fight for us,

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<v Speaker 1>show us what next steps to take, and let us

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<v Speaker 1>take them boldly, God, knowing that you will give us

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<v Speaker 1>your victory and Jesus Christ name I pray Amen. It

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<v Speaker 1>is my hope that today's episode has provided you with

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<v Speaker 1>insightful and helpful tips on how you can pray. As

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<v Speaker 1>a gift to you, be sure to download my free

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<v Speaker 1>five day Prayer guide and take my Prayer Personality quiz

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<v Speaker 1>to learn how you best hear and connect with God.

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<v Speaker 1>Find all links in today's show notes. We have so

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<v Speaker 1>much more to talk about when it comes to prayer,

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<v Speaker 1>so I hope that if you were encouraged by today's episode,

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<v Speaker 1>you will share it with the friend and subscribe so

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<v Speaker 1>you don't miss any future episodes of the Teach Us

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<v Speaker 1>to Pray Podcast where we will continue to learn. I'll

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<v Speaker 1>just like breathing, prayer can become a natural, consistent, and

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<v Speaker 1>life giving part of our everyday lives. Until then, be

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<v Speaker 1>sure to connect with me at Belovedwomen dot org and

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<v Speaker 1>join me on the Beloved Women App for unlimited videos

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<v Speaker 1>to grow your faith, learn God's word, and encourage your soul.

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<v Speaker 1>The app. The Beloved Woman App is available now in

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<v Speaker 1>the Apple and Google play stores or at Belovewomen dot tv.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you so much for taking time to listen today.

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<v Speaker 1>God bless you, and I'll talk to you in the

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<v Speaker 1>next episode. Teach Us to Pray is a production of

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio and Salem Media. If you like what you

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<v Speaker 1>this podcast in your favorite podcast staff so that more

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<v Speaker 1>listeners like you can find the show. For more faith

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