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Speaker 1: Life audio. God is not an AI search engine. He's

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Speaker 1: the creator of the universe. It's not artificial intelligence, it's

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Speaker 1: divine intelligence. Do you remember the first time you prayed?

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Speaker 1: But I remember when I did. I was a brand

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Speaker 1: new believer, and I was told by my Christian friends, now, Greg,

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Speaker 1: you can pray about things and the Lord will hear

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Speaker 1: your prayers and I'll answer your prayers. So I thought, well, okay,

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Speaker 1: I pray for a new Bible. And the reason was

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Speaker 1: because someone gave me like kind of the funkiest bible

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Speaker 1: you've ever seen. It was very used. It had two

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Speaker 1: popsicle sticks glued together in the shape of a cross.

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Speaker 1: I wanted a proper Bible. I had gone to a

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Speaker 1: Christian bookstore and they had a beautiful black leather Schofield

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Speaker 1: Cross Reference Bible with gold pages and ribbons. And I

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Speaker 1: wanted that Bible so much, but I couldn't afford it.

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Speaker 1: So I prayed, Lord, I want that Bible. And I

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Speaker 1: got a phone called that day from my grandmother who

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Speaker 1: had lived with as a boy for a number of years,

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Speaker 1: and she heard that I'd become a Christian and said,

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Speaker 1: I want to buy you a bible. Pick out a

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Speaker 1: really nice one my first answered prayer. Do you remember

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Speaker 1: the first time you prayed publicly? That's kind of challenging,

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Speaker 1: isn't it. I remember I was in a big prayer

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Speaker 1: circle and I was very nervous. I'd never done this before,

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Speaker 1: and I knew what I was going to pray, But

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Speaker 1: by the time it got to me, everything had been

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Speaker 1: prayed for already. I didn't know what to pray for.

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Speaker 1: I'm not sure what I asked the Lord for. But

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Speaker 1: I want to talk to you a little bit today

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Speaker 1: about prayer because that's one of the most neglected things

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Speaker 1: in the Christian life. I think we would all admit

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Speaker 1: that we could pray more. I certainly would admit I

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Speaker 1: could and I should pray more. Billy Grahama was once

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Speaker 1: asked if he had any regrets in life, and he said, yes,

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Speaker 1: I regret that I did not pray more and spend

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Speaker 1: more time telling the Lord how much I love him.

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Speaker 1: So let's think a little bit about prayer. Let's learn

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Speaker 1: a little bit more about prayer, and I want to

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Speaker 1: focus on something called the Lord's prayer that reminds me

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Speaker 1: of a story. A pilot was flying a plane full

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Speaker 1: of passengers to their destination, when suddenly the rudder malfunction.

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Speaker 1: He radioed the control tower in a panic and shouted,

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Speaker 1: the rudder is malfunctioned. What should I do? The air

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Speaker 1: traffic controller radio back very calmly and said, now keep calm, captain,

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Speaker 1: just repeat after me. Wings flap check, velocity check, altitude check.

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Speaker 1: And the pilot made the adjustments and everything was fine.

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Speaker 1: And about five minutes say to the starboard engines, and

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Speaker 1: the pilot radio is again. The starboard engine is talled.

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Speaker 1: What do I do? Same answer, Keep calm, captain, wings

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Speaker 1: flap check, velocity check, altitude check. It worked, everything was fine.

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Speaker 1: The pilot breathed the sigh of relief, and then both

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Speaker 1: engines went out at the same time. May day, may day.

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Speaker 1: The pilot shouts, the engines are gone. What do I do?

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Speaker 1: The air traffic controller said, keep calm, captain, just repeat

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Speaker 1: after me, our father, who are in heaven, how it

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Speaker 1: would be your name, your kingdom? Come? You know the

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Speaker 1: Lord's prayer, that's the one we pull out in case

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Speaker 1: of emergency. That's like the big prayer, and there's nothing

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Speaker 1: wrong with that. There have been a number of occasions

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Speaker 1: where I have prayed that prayer I remember I was

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Speaker 1: asked to speak at the March for Life event in Washington,

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Speaker 1: d C. It was very cold, very snowy, and said

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Speaker 1: thousands of people gathered to march for the unborn, and

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Speaker 1: I gave a little message and I told them about

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Speaker 1: how they get ever relationship with Jesus Christ. I commended

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Speaker 1: them for all their efforts because these are people from

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Speaker 1: every religious background, imaginable. And then I said, let's pray

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Speaker 1: the Lord's Prayer together and we did that. It was beautiful.

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Speaker 1: Remember another time I was speaking at an event in Cochella,

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Speaker 1: California for President Trump, and I also led that crowd

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Speaker 1: in the Lord's Prayer. It seems like most people know

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Speaker 1: this prayer, but there's one time when I prayed that

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Speaker 1: prayer in a very difficult situation. I have a friend

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Speaker 1: who had a son who was out running in a

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Speaker 1: track meet, and tragically, the boy died as he was

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Speaker 1: crossing the finish line and they took him down to

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Speaker 1: the hospital and he was gone, and I was called

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Speaker 1: down there and I walked into a room filled with people.

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Speaker 1: In fact, this whole family was in town because it

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Speaker 1: was the grandfather's birthday, so they were there to celebrate,

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Speaker 1: and here's this room full of devastated, grieving people. And

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Speaker 1: I talked to him a little bit about our own loss,

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Speaker 1: how the Lord had called our son home to heaven

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Speaker 1: unexpectedly sixteen years earlier. And I shared the hope that

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Speaker 1: we have in Christ. Because this young man, whose name

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Speaker 1: is Larry, was a believer, and so I could assure

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Speaker 1: the folks that Larry was with the Lord. And then

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Speaker 1: as they came to an end of my talk, it

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Speaker 1: just occurred to me, we should pray the Lord's prayer.

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Speaker 1: And we did pray it together. There's something so powerful,

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Speaker 1: so beautiful in that prayer. Do you know it? You

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Speaker 1: should memorize it. Our Father God in heaven, hollow would

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Speaker 1: be thy name, that kingdom come, that will be done

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Speaker 1: on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this

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Speaker 1: day our daily read, and forgive us our sins, as

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Speaker 1: we forgive those who have sinned against us. Deliver us

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Speaker 1: from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power

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Speaker 1: and the glory forever. Amen the Lord's Prayer. Now, if

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Speaker 1: this prayer was given in response to a question from

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Speaker 1: the disciples, they said, Lord, teach us to pray as

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Speaker 1: John taught his disciples to pray. Notice they did not say, Lord,

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Speaker 1: teach us a killer prayer, the one to pull out

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Speaker 1: in case of emergency. No, Rather, they said teach us

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Speaker 1: to pray. So the Lord's Prayer is a prayer we

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Speaker 1: can pray on occasion, but it is also a model

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Speaker 1: or a template for prayer. Have you ever gone to

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Speaker 1: a housing tract that's about to be built in the

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Speaker 1: of the model homes and you can walk around and

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Speaker 1: see what these homes will look like. Those model homes

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Speaker 1: are interesting, though the photographs of the people that live

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Speaker 1: there that don't live there at all, everything is fake,

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Speaker 1: but it gives you a sense of what I may

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Speaker 1: like one day. And this prayer that we call the

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Speaker 1: Lord's Prayer is a model for all prayer. It shows

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Speaker 1: us how to pray, which also reveals that prayer is

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Speaker 1: something that can be learned. We can, in effect, become

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Speaker 1: better at prayer the more that we do it. So

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Speaker 1: let's walk through the Lord's Prayer. But let's start with

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Speaker 1: this question, why don't we pray more? I think most

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Speaker 1: of us, as they said already, would acknowledge prayer is important.

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Speaker 1: We would acknowledge we should pray more. But if we're honest,

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Speaker 1: we would acknowledge. Also, we don't pray enough. Why I

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Speaker 1: don't know? Reason number one? Should I say? Excuse number one?

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Speaker 1: We say we don't have the time. Okay, is that true?

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Speaker 1: Let me throw us stat out that effectively disproves that.

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Speaker 1: Research tells us that people in the United States check

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Speaker 1: their social media accounts seventeen times a day. That's basically

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Speaker 1: once every waking hour. Now that's a lot, right now.

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Speaker 1: You have time to do that, but you don't have

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Speaker 1: time to pray. What if you prayed seventeen times a day.

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Speaker 1: We know that Daniel the Prophet prayed three times a day.

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Speaker 1: You might say it was a habit of yes. And

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Speaker 1: then get this. The average American watches five hours of

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Speaker 1: television a day. What if we give just half of

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Speaker 1: that to the Lord. Now, look, I'm not trying to

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Speaker 1: make you feel better about watching TV or checking your

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Speaker 1: social media accounts. But here's the thing. We have time

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Speaker 1: for what matters to us. We make time to check

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Speaker 1: our social media, we make time to binge watch stuff

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Speaker 1: on Netflix. We make time to do so many things.

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Speaker 1: But we don't have time for prayer. It's not really

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Speaker 1: a reason, it's just an excuse. Okay, here's reason number

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Speaker 1: two that we don't pray more? Or maybe I should

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Speaker 1: say excuse number two. If we're honest, maybe we wouldn't

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Speaker 1: say this, but it's probably true for us. We don't

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Speaker 1: think prayer is all that important. Who would say that

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Speaker 1: prayer is not important? But if it is important, why

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Speaker 1: don't we pray more? If we really believe that prayer

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Speaker 1: moved mountains, wouldn't we be doing it more? Here's what

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Speaker 1: always gets me. Jesus himself prayed constantly. If the son

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Speaker 1: of God walking among us felt the need to spend

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Speaker 1: hours in the evening praying to his father in heaven,

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Speaker 1: how much more should you and I be spending time

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Speaker 1: in prayer? Again, We're always going to find time for

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Speaker 1: what matters to us. One more reason we don't pray,

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Speaker 1: or i'll call it an excuse. We may just think

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Speaker 1: that prayer doesn't work. This is a big one. Oh,

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Speaker 1: maybe we wouldn't say it out loud, but do we

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Speaker 1: really believe that prayer works? Well? The answer to that

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Speaker 1: is yes, it does. And I want to address that

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Speaker 1: directly because I think there's something so often misunderstood about prayer.

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Speaker 1: God wants us to pray and isay a fifty nine

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Speaker 1: sixteen God wonders why his people don't pray more, and

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Speaker 1: the word that is used there in the text for

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Speaker 1: wonders means God is astonished. God's literally astonished, like people,

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Speaker 1: why don't you pray more? I want to bless you

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Speaker 1: through prayer. I want to provide for you through prayer,

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Speaker 1: as the Bible says, you have not because you ask not.

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Speaker 1: Jesus said, men are always to pray and not give up.

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Speaker 1: The apostle Paul said, don't worry about anything but pray

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Speaker 1: about everything. There's so much God wants to do in

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Speaker 1: our lives if we will just pray about it. I

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Speaker 1: think one of the problems with social media and Google

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Speaker 1: and AI is we're used to just getting median information.

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Speaker 1: So I'm praying Lord speak to me, show me what

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Speaker 1: to do, and he doesn't come through quickly enough for us.

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Speaker 1: And we're used to a world where if you have

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Speaker 1: a question, you type it in within seconds, you can

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Speaker 1: find out the weather in Brazil, whatever you need, it's

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Speaker 1: all there. But the thing is is God doesn't work

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Speaker 1: on our schedules. He speaks in his time, and he

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Speaker 1: tells us to be still and know that he is God.

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Speaker 1: God is not an AI search engine. He's the creator

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Speaker 1: of the universe and his wisdom. Do I really need

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Speaker 1: to say? This is so much greater than all of

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Speaker 1: the AI out there, no matter what particular program you

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Speaker 1: are using. It's not artificial intelligence, it's divine intelligence. But

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Speaker 1: here's what I want you to know. If your prayers

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Speaker 1: aren't working, maybe because you're not praying the right way.

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Speaker 1: And that's exactly what Jesus is talking to us about

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Speaker 1: and what we call the Lord's prayer. Now, think about

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Speaker 1: how amazing this is. Jesus Christ is teaching us how

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Speaker 1: to pray. I mean, imagine if you went to some

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Speaker 1: elite university and you could be taught by the absolute

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Speaker 1: best in every field across human history. You could study

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Speaker 1: music under Beethoven, take a drama class taught by Shakespeare,

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Speaker 1: political science with Thomas Jefferson, philosophy with C. S. Lewis. Well,

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Speaker 1: those will all be great. But how about a class

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Speaker 1: on prayer taught by Jesus Christ himself. And that's exactly

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Speaker 1: what we have here in Luke chapter eleven. So one

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Speaker 1: day the disciples of Jesus came to him, as I mentioned,

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Speaker 1: and said, Lord, teach us how to pray, and then

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Speaker 1: Jesus gave them what we now call the Lord's prayer. Okay,

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Speaker 1: so let's start with this template for prayer that we

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Speaker 1: call the Lord's prayer. It begins with these words, our Father,

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Speaker 1: who are in heaven. We have to begin to see

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Speaker 1: God the way the Bible presents him as a father.

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Speaker 1: He's a father who loves his children. He's a father

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Speaker 1: who misses his children when they go astray. He's a

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Speaker 1: father that longs for communication and fellowship with us. He's

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Speaker 1: a father who wants to bless us. Jesus himself said,

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Speaker 1: if you're not little flock, it is your father's good

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Speaker 1: pleasure to give to you the kingdom. Look, I don't

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Speaker 1: know what kind of earthly dad that you had growing up.

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Speaker 1: Maybe you had a great hands on father. Maybe your

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Speaker 1: father was rather aloof, Maybe your father was abusive, Maybe

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Speaker 1: your father was not there at all. That's my situation.

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Speaker 1: I never had a dad growing up. So depending on

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Speaker 1: your upbringing, you might approach his concept as God as

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Speaker 1: a father in different ways. But we need to see

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Speaker 1: him as the Bible presents him. One of the best

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Speaker 1: illustrations and what we call the parable of the prodigals

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Speaker 1: son that Jesus gave. He presents God as a father

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Speaker 1: who had two sons. As you recall, one of the

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Speaker 1: sons one astray and made a mess of his life

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Speaker 1: and drug the family name to the gutter. And one

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Speaker 1: day he decided to return home. Because even that boy

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Speaker 1: knew people that worked for his dad had it better

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Speaker 1: than he had it. And he had a little speech

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Speaker 1: that he had written. I'll just say, Father, I have sinned.

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Speaker 1: I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Just

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Speaker 1: give me a job. I won't be your son anymore,

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Speaker 1: but just let me live under your roof. And here's

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Speaker 1: the story Jesus tells. When the boy was a great

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Speaker 1: ways off, his father saw him and ran to him

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Speaker 1: and threw his arms around him and kissed him and

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Speaker 1: welcomed him and said, rejoice with me. This my son,

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Speaker 1: who was dead is alive again. He who was lost

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Speaker 1: is found. That's what God is like now, Jesus said,

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Speaker 1: and suggested it. It might almost appear a reverend, because

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Speaker 1: we have this father running to the son. Do you

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Speaker 1: know that in ancient culture was considered undignified for an

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Speaker 1: older man to run, not to mention that's harder for

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Speaker 1: an older man to run. You know. I used to

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Speaker 1: be a runner, not anymore, and it's something that actually

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Speaker 1: just causes pain to me. Now I hear runners say, oh,

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Speaker 1: I had a great run. I really had the release

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Speaker 1: of the endorphins. I don't think I ever got a

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Speaker 1: single endorphined release when I was doing any form of exercise.

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Speaker 1: Maybe I've had some endorphins release when I'm eating a hamburger.

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Speaker 1: So here's the picture Jesus gives. A father is willing

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Speaker 1: to lose his dignity if you will, to get to

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Speaker 1: his son. It doesn't matter if that's not done. He

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Speaker 1: has to get to his son as quickly as possible,

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Speaker 1: and he welcomes his son, and he forgives his son.

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Speaker 1: What is God like. He's like a father who misses

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Speaker 1: his son, his daughter. And when we're away, he longed

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Speaker 1: for our return. He's our father who aren't in heaven.

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Speaker 1: Now I want you to know that, though it is

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Speaker 1: true he is your father, he's also your daddy if

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Speaker 1: you will. In Romans eight fifteen, it says you've not

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Speaker 1: received the spirit of a bondage that makes you fearful slaves. Instead,

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Speaker 1: you've received God's spirit where he adopted you as his

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Speaker 1: own children. Now we call him Abba father, Abba father.

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Speaker 1: That is an affectionate term. That is the Hebrew equivalent

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Speaker 1: of calling your father daddy or papa. Like if you're

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Speaker 1: sitting at a dinner table with your father and you

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Speaker 1: want the salt, you don't say, dearest Father, I beseech

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Speaker 1: thee to hend to me the salt that Now you

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Speaker 1: just say, hey, Dad, would you pass the sault. It's intimacy,

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Speaker 1: it's access, it's relationship. And so he is your father

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Speaker 1: in heaven. But there's an affection in that because he's

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Speaker 1: your Abba in heaven and you can approach any time.

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Speaker 1: So we begin our prayers with our father who are

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Speaker 1: in heaven. Before we start rattling off eliz of requests,

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Speaker 1: just pause and contemplate the awesomeness of God. If we

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Speaker 1: wrote the Lord's Prayer ourselves, it would go as follow

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Speaker 1: us our Father, whoard in heaven, give us us to

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Speaker 1: ear daily bread, like hello, God, how are you nice

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Speaker 1: to see you? Here's what I need. But Jesus teaches

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Speaker 1: us in the model prayer, the template for all prayer,

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Speaker 1: to pray our Father who ward in heaven. Hollow would

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Speaker 1: be thy name. Before you get to your personal requests,

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Speaker 1: contemplate the awesomeness and the greatness of God. Remind yourself

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Speaker 1: of the faithfulness of God. Listen, your God is a

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Speaker 1: promise keeper. He is not a promise breaker. It's good

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Speaker 1: for us to think of some of the attributes of

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Speaker 1: God as we call upon in For instance, the Bible

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Speaker 1: teaches that God is omnipotent. That means he is unlimited power.

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Speaker 1: In otherwise, how can he answer your prayer? So as

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Speaker 1: the Bible says, as anything too hard for the Lord.

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Speaker 1: So whatever you're bringing before him, you serve an all

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Speaker 1: powerful God. Secondly, God is I'm the present. That means

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Speaker 1: he's present everywhere that matters, because if he wasn't, how

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Speaker 1: would he be able to meet your needs wherever you are. So,

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Speaker 1: wherever you go, whatever you're facing, God is with you there,

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Speaker 1: as Jesus said, I Am with you even to the

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Speaker 1: end of the age. Thirdly, God is omniscient. This simply

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Speaker 1: means he knows everything. He knows all things. He knows

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Speaker 1: everything that you're facing, he knows a lot of things

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Speaker 1: that you don't know, and he knows how He's ultimately

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Speaker 1: going to work it. Out according to His perfect plan

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Speaker 1: for your life and for his ultimate glory. Another thing

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Speaker 1: I would mention is God is loving. That means that

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Speaker 1: whatever happens in my life, whatever God allows or us,

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Speaker 1: is ultimately for His glory and our and for our good,

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Speaker 1: and everything is screened through a lens of love. You know,

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Speaker 1: when I was a kid, I used to watch a

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Speaker 1: TV show called Father Knows Best. As I pointed out,

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Speaker 1: I didn't have a dad growing up, so I really

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Speaker 1: needed some paternal wisdom. Sadly I had to get it

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Speaker 1: from some actor reading lines in a sitcom. But the

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Speaker 1: way they portrayed fathers back in those days was a

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Speaker 1: lot different than the way they portray them in television

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Speaker 1: or movies today. The fathers are wise and considerate and

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Speaker 1: had good advice for their kids. So I would watch

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Speaker 1: Father Knows Best or word Cleaver on Leave It to Beaver.

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Speaker 1: But I was just looking for some direction. But I

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Speaker 1: like that title of that one program, father Knows Best?

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Speaker 1: And did you know your heavenly father knows Best? Soap,

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Speaker 1: let's review our father who are in he hallowood? Be

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Speaker 1: your name now? The word hollowood means set apart, be

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Speaker 1: your name. When I say, Hallowood be your name. I'm

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Speaker 1: saying God has set apart in my life. He is

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Speaker 1: above everything. He is over everything. He is Lord over everything.

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Speaker 1: Fact is, if he isn't Lord of all, he isn't

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Speaker 1: lord at all. Many of our homes have a wall

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Speaker 1: or a shelf dedicated to our family. We might have

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Speaker 1: family photos there, or trophies that our children won for

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Speaker 1: sports events over the years, basically things that matter to you.

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Speaker 1: I was just back in Washington, d c. For lunch

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Speaker 1: at the White House, and while I was there, Secretary

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Speaker 1: of State Marco Rubio invited me to come visit him

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Speaker 1: in his office in the West Wing, which is right

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Speaker 1: across from the Oval Office. And so I went over

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Speaker 1: to his office and sat there, and what struck me

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Speaker 1: about it was what he had on a walls. He

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Speaker 1: pointed out to me that this was once the office

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Speaker 1: of Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State under Richard Dixon,

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Speaker 1: and it was quite different Marco's office from Kissinger's office

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Speaker 1: because on the walls of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's

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Speaker 1: office were photos of his family, starting with a big

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Speaker 1: one of his son playing football, and then photos of

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Speaker 1: him with his wife and to me that said, this

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Speaker 1: is what matters to me. You would think it would

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Speaker 1: be Marco with the president and Marco with world leaders,

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Speaker 1: but primarily it was Marco with members of his family.

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Speaker 1: That's a man who has his priorities in order. I

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Speaker 1: ask you, what's on the wall of your life? What

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Speaker 1: is that the center of your life? It should be

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Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus Christ number one, and of course your family.

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Speaker 1: But you have to have things in their proper place.

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Speaker 1: So I say, Lord, Hollywood be your name. Lord, I

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Speaker 1: want to do this for your glory. I should be

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Speaker 1: able to write Hallowod be your name over everything that

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Speaker 1: I do. I should be able to write Hallowod be

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Speaker 1: thy name over my career choice, or hallowould be thy

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Speaker 1: name over the friends I choose to spend time with her.

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Speaker 1: Hollow would be thy name over the TV shows that

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Speaker 1: I watch, or the social media that I view, and

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Speaker 1: all the things that I spend my time doing. Here's

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Speaker 1: a simple test. If I can't ask the Lord to

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Speaker 1: bless it, I shouldn't do it. If I can't say

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Speaker 1: Hallowold be thy name over something, I shouldn't be engaged

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Speaker 1: in it. As an example, if I'm going to church

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Speaker 1: in the Sunday morning. Can I say, Lord, bless his

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Speaker 1: time at church? Hallow it be thy name? Of course

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Speaker 1: I can't. If I'm going to go out for a

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Speaker 1: nice meal with family or friends, can I say hallowud

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Speaker 1: be thy name? Of course I can't. If I'm going

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Speaker 1: to go out and get drunk for the weekend, can

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Speaker 1: I say, Lord, bless his time as I get drunk

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Speaker 1: and don't let me let me get a dui this time? No,

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Speaker 1: you can't do that. Hey, Can I say, Hallow would

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Speaker 1: be thy name, Lord as I sleep with my girlfriend

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Speaker 1: or boyfriend? No you can't. So my point is, find

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Speaker 1: things to do that you can say, Hallow would be

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Speaker 1: thy name. Over our Father who are in heaven, Hallow

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Speaker 1: would be thy name. Set apart be your name, Your

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Speaker 1: kingdom Come, Your will be done on earth as it

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Speaker 1: is in heaven. Now, this is a multi layered request,

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Speaker 1: and I want to unpack it because a lot of

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Speaker 1: us may not realize what we're really praying for. First

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Speaker 1: of all, I'm saying your kingdom Come. That means I'm

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Speaker 1: asking for the rule and reign of Jesus Christ in

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Speaker 1: my life. Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is in

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Speaker 1: the midst of you. And what he meant was he

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Speaker 1: was walking among the people that was the kingdom of God.

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Speaker 1: So Jesus is ruling over us. He said, my kingdom

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Speaker 1: is not of this world. So when I'm saying your

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Speaker 1: kingdom come, I'm saying, Lord, I want the rule and

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Speaker 1: reign of Christ in my life. Remember Jesus told us

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Speaker 1: in Matthew six point thirty three to seek first the

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Speaker 1: Kingdom of God in his righteousness, and all these things

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Speaker 1: shall be added unto you. So when I pray Thy

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Speaker 1: Kingdom come, that will be done. I'm asking for the

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Speaker 1: rule and reign of Christ in my life. And that's

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Speaker 1: something every Christian should be doing or placed here on

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Speaker 1: this earth to bring glory to God. So pray Thy

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Speaker 1: Kingdom come. Another thing is when I pray Thy Kingdom come,

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Speaker 1: that will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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Speaker 1: I'm effectively praying for the return of Jesus Christ to

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Speaker 1: our planet. Now, when Jesus uses the word kingdom here,

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Speaker 1: he's talking about sovereignty and dominion. In other words, I'm

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Speaker 1: praying for the rule and reign of Christ over this planet. Listen,

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Speaker 1: politicians are never going to be able to fix the

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Speaker 1: problems of our world, nor is the latest and greatest technology.

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Speaker 1: Only Christ can fix this war torn planet. Only Christ

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Speaker 1: can bring true and lasting peace. Only Christ can change

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Speaker 1: things to the way they need to be. So when

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Speaker 1: I pray Thy Kingdom Come, I'm praying for the rule

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Speaker 1: and reign of Jesus Christ on this planet. And I'm saying,

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Speaker 1: Jesus comes soon. The word that is used here by

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Speaker 1: Jesus for come, as in Thy Kingdom come, actually carries

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Speaker 1: a sense of a sudden, instantaneous coming. So I'm saying, Lord,

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Speaker 1: come back soon, like the apostle John said, Even so,

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Speaker 1: come Lord Jesus. You know. One concern that I have

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Speaker 1: is that there is a doctrine that has gained some

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Speaker 1: prominence in the Church called the Preadorist view. The word

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Speaker 1: preatorist comes from a Latin word that means pass and

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Speaker 1: basically it is the view that the things that many

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Speaker 1: of us look forward to as Christians have already happened.

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Speaker 1: They're in the past. Specifically in seventy AD, when Titus

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Speaker 1: and the Roman legions attacked Jerusalem. They say that all

425
00:26:21,244 --> 00:26:24,125
Speaker 1: these things were fulfilled. That's when the anti Christ came.

426
00:26:24,484 --> 00:26:27,764
Speaker 1: That's the second Coming included in that so we should

427
00:26:27,804 --> 00:26:30,004
Speaker 1: not be looking forward to the return of Christ to

428
00:26:30,044 --> 00:26:34,084
Speaker 1: our planet anymore. I don't believe in the prederest view.

429
00:26:34,685 --> 00:26:37,965
Speaker 1: I believe that Christ is coming in the future. I

430
00:26:38,004 --> 00:26:40,764
Speaker 1: don't think it has already happened. I think it is

431
00:26:40,925 --> 00:26:44,284
Speaker 1: going to happen. And I think that this belief that

432
00:26:44,405 --> 00:26:47,645
Speaker 1: Jesus could come back at any moment actually has an

433
00:26:47,725 --> 00:26:51,205
Speaker 1: impact on us spiritually. And first John it says he

434
00:26:51,324 --> 00:26:55,205
Speaker 1: that has this so purifies himself, even as God is pure.

435
00:26:55,324 --> 00:26:58,764
Speaker 1: In other words, if I believe Jesus could come back

436
00:26:58,804 --> 00:27:01,444
Speaker 1: at any time, and I do, by the way, it

437
00:27:01,484 --> 00:27:04,445
Speaker 1: is a purifying effect to me. Let me illustrate. Remember

438
00:27:04,484 --> 00:27:06,884
Speaker 1: when you were a little kid. Maybe you're being a

439
00:27:06,885 --> 00:27:09,004
Speaker 1: good little boy or girl, and you couldn't wait until

440
00:27:09,084 --> 00:27:12,685
Speaker 1: daddy got home, right, But maybe one day you misbehaved

441
00:27:12,725 --> 00:27:15,484
Speaker 1: and your mom said, now your father's going to have

442
00:27:15,524 --> 00:27:19,044
Speaker 1: to discipline you. So you kind of dreaded the arrival

443
00:27:19,125 --> 00:27:22,284
Speaker 1: of your father. I think when we're walking with God

444
00:27:22,324 --> 00:27:25,284
Speaker 1: as we ought to, we look forward to the return

445
00:27:25,445 --> 00:27:28,685
Speaker 1: of Jesus, But when we're not walking with him as

446
00:27:28,725 --> 00:27:32,524
Speaker 1: we ought to, maybe we're dreading it. It should have

447
00:27:32,844 --> 00:27:35,445
Speaker 1: an effect on us and the way we live two

448
00:27:35,564 --> 00:27:39,804
Speaker 1: Peter three fourteen says, dear friends, while you're waiting for

449
00:27:39,885 --> 00:27:43,284
Speaker 1: the Lord to return, live peaceful lives that are pure

450
00:27:43,685 --> 00:27:48,085
Speaker 1: and blameless in His sight. So Thy Kingdom Come, Thy

451
00:27:48,165 --> 00:27:50,804
Speaker 1: will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

452
00:27:51,044 --> 00:27:53,764
Speaker 1: It's a personal prayer for the rule and reign of

453
00:27:53,844 --> 00:27:56,965
Speaker 1: Christ in our life. It's a prayer for our planet

454
00:27:57,365 --> 00:28:01,565
Speaker 1: that Christ would return again. And finally, this is an

455
00:28:01,564 --> 00:28:05,365
Speaker 1: evangelistic prayer. When I pray Thy Kingdom come, that will

456
00:28:05,365 --> 00:28:09,484
Speaker 1: be done. I'm praying for people that I know that

457
00:28:09,604 --> 00:28:13,404
Speaker 1: are not yet believers. I'm praying that the Kingdom of

458
00:28:13,524 --> 00:28:17,284
Speaker 1: God would rule and reign in their life. And by

459
00:28:17,324 --> 00:28:20,364
Speaker 1: the way, we can play a part in the Kingdom

460
00:28:20,405 --> 00:28:23,844
Speaker 1: of God coming into someone else's life. Every time you

461
00:28:23,925 --> 00:28:27,844
Speaker 1: share the gospel, you're moving in that direction. Every time

462
00:28:27,965 --> 00:28:33,204
Speaker 1: someone believes in Jesus, God's Kingdom advances on the earth.

463
00:28:33,604 --> 00:28:37,004
Speaker 1: So I'm praying for the Lord to reach people I

464
00:28:37,084 --> 00:28:39,885
Speaker 1: know that aren't believers yet. I think of my own mother.

465
00:28:40,325 --> 00:28:44,404
Speaker 1: If you saw the Jesus Revolution film, you saw how

466
00:28:44,885 --> 00:28:47,364
Speaker 1: she had a really rough life and was married in

467
00:28:47,445 --> 00:28:51,205
Speaker 1: divorce many times and was searching. And people have asked

468
00:28:51,205 --> 00:28:53,805
Speaker 1: me whatever happened to your mom. Well, I'm happy to

469
00:28:53,844 --> 00:28:57,964
Speaker 1: report that my mom eventually came to the Lord at

470
00:28:58,045 --> 00:29:01,525
Speaker 1: the age of seventy, and we were very happy that

471
00:29:01,565 --> 00:29:04,725
Speaker 1: finally took place. But the sad thing is she died

472
00:29:04,844 --> 00:29:07,965
Speaker 1: only a mind month or so after that. So we

473
00:29:08,045 --> 00:29:11,245
Speaker 1: never want to give up praying for our loved ones

474
00:29:11,365 --> 00:29:13,925
Speaker 1: to come to know Jesus Christ. And by the way,

475
00:29:14,325 --> 00:29:16,725
Speaker 1: it is the will of God for people to believe

476
00:29:16,725 --> 00:29:20,245
Speaker 1: in Jesus. God says he's not willing that any should perish,

477
00:29:20,405 --> 00:29:24,444
Speaker 1: but that all should come to repentance. So it's biblical

478
00:29:24,805 --> 00:29:27,525
Speaker 1: to pray for our friends or people we know that

479
00:29:27,604 --> 00:29:31,285
Speaker 1: are not yet believers. Isaiah fifty three tells us Jesus

480
00:29:31,645 --> 00:29:35,365
Speaker 1: interceded for the transgressors. That means he prayed for them.

481
00:29:35,725 --> 00:29:38,684
Speaker 1: And remember on the cross itself, what were the first

482
00:29:38,765 --> 00:29:42,725
Speaker 1: of his seventh statements statement number one, Father, forgive them,

483
00:29:42,765 --> 00:29:45,644
Speaker 1: for they know not what they do. That was a

484
00:29:45,685 --> 00:29:47,965
Speaker 1: prayer for those people. And by the way, one of

485
00:29:48,005 --> 00:29:51,045
Speaker 1: them did believe that we know of one of the

486
00:29:51,165 --> 00:29:54,964
Speaker 1: thieves crucified next to him. Call them thieves are probably

487
00:29:54,965 --> 00:29:58,165
Speaker 1: guilty of a far more serious crime to be crucified

488
00:29:58,405 --> 00:30:00,884
Speaker 1: by the Romans. But remember, one of those men turned

489
00:30:00,885 --> 00:30:03,805
Speaker 1: to Jesus and said, Lord, remember me when you come

490
00:30:03,844 --> 00:30:07,685
Speaker 1: into your kingdom. And Jesus said, truly, truly, I say

491
00:30:07,725 --> 00:30:10,604
Speaker 1: to you today, you'll be with me in Paradise. And

492
00:30:10,645 --> 00:30:13,684
Speaker 1: by the way, as the story begins, as Christ is

493
00:30:13,725 --> 00:30:18,925
Speaker 1: being crucified, both thieves joined in on the mockery of Jesus.

494
00:30:19,084 --> 00:30:22,205
Speaker 1: Then Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not

495
00:30:22,285 --> 00:30:26,045
Speaker 1: what they do. Then, right there on the spot, that thief,

496
00:30:26,125 --> 00:30:30,165
Speaker 1: as a result of that prayer of Christ believed. Now

497
00:30:30,045 --> 00:30:32,405
Speaker 1: I bring this up because some people will say, well,

498
00:30:32,445 --> 00:30:35,725
Speaker 1: this is a contradiction of the Bible, because one gospel

499
00:30:35,765 --> 00:30:38,924
Speaker 1: says that both of the thieves mocked Jesus, and another

500
00:30:38,965 --> 00:30:42,525
Speaker 1: gospel says one of them told him to remember them

501
00:30:42,525 --> 00:30:44,805
Speaker 1: when he came into his kingdom. That's not a contradiction.

502
00:30:45,084 --> 00:30:48,644
Speaker 1: That's called a conversion. That I believed right there in

503
00:30:48,685 --> 00:30:50,884
Speaker 1: the spot. You know how long it takes to become

504
00:30:50,925 --> 00:30:54,925
Speaker 1: a Christian. It doesn't tag years, it doesn't dig months,

505
00:30:55,405 --> 00:30:58,404
Speaker 1: it doesn't dig ours. It can happen in a moment.

506
00:30:59,125 --> 00:31:02,684
Speaker 1: So here we see the Lord praying for people that

507
00:31:02,844 --> 00:31:05,405
Speaker 1: did not yet know them, even praying for the peace

508
00:31:05,485 --> 00:31:09,404
Speaker 1: people that crucified him. Be praying for people you know

509
00:31:09,844 --> 00:31:12,285
Speaker 1: and are not yet Christians. The Bible says we should

510
00:31:12,325 --> 00:31:16,084
Speaker 1: pray that God would open their spiritual eyes, that they

511
00:31:16,084 --> 00:31:19,885
Speaker 1: would see their personal need for Jesus Christ. So let's

512
00:31:19,925 --> 00:31:24,485
Speaker 1: review our Father, who are in heaven, how it would

513
00:31:24,565 --> 00:31:29,765
Speaker 1: be thy name, thy kingdom Come, Thy will be done

514
00:31:30,165 --> 00:31:33,485
Speaker 1: on earth as it is in heaven. The will of

515
00:31:33,525 --> 00:31:38,245
Speaker 1: God is not always the easiest thing. Jonah didn't think

516
00:31:38,325 --> 00:31:40,605
Speaker 1: much of the Wolf of God when the Lord called

517
00:31:40,645 --> 00:31:43,405
Speaker 1: him to go preach to the people of Nineveh. After

518
00:31:43,485 --> 00:31:47,924
Speaker 1: all the Ninavitra the about enemies of Israel, and Jonah

519
00:31:47,965 --> 00:31:50,445
Speaker 1: knew the nature of God and how forgiving he was.

520
00:31:50,725 --> 00:31:53,725
Speaker 1: And his fear was, if I go preach to these horrible,

521
00:31:53,765 --> 00:31:57,684
Speaker 1: wicked people, they'll repent and God will forgive them. But

522
00:31:57,725 --> 00:32:00,805
Speaker 1: if I don't go preach to them, they won't repent

523
00:32:00,965 --> 00:32:03,325
Speaker 1: and God won't forgive them, and he'll destroy them. And

524
00:32:03,365 --> 00:32:06,205
Speaker 1: that's one less enemy we have to worry about. So

525
00:32:06,365 --> 00:32:08,405
Speaker 1: you know the story. Jonah caught a boat going in

526
00:32:08,485 --> 00:32:11,644
Speaker 1: the opposite direction, but the Lord sent a great storm.

527
00:32:11,685 --> 00:32:15,245
Speaker 1: Then he said, a great fish and Jonah got back

528
00:32:15,285 --> 00:32:18,885
Speaker 1: to the task at hand and preached the people of Ninevah,

529
00:32:18,925 --> 00:32:22,485
Speaker 1: and a spiritual awakening happened as a result. But he

530
00:32:22,525 --> 00:32:25,085
Speaker 1: didn't like the will of God. And sometimes the will

531
00:32:25,125 --> 00:32:29,485
Speaker 1: of God is a struggle. Even Jesus himself in the

532
00:32:29,525 --> 00:32:33,364
Speaker 1: garden of Kyosemite had a hard time with the will

533
00:32:33,565 --> 00:32:37,765
Speaker 1: of the Father. Because remember, Jesus, being God, k near

534
00:32:37,844 --> 00:32:42,085
Speaker 1: the future. He was omniscient. He knew he was going

535
00:32:42,125 --> 00:32:46,325
Speaker 1: to be beaten beyond human recognition. He knew he was

536
00:32:46,405 --> 00:32:49,124
Speaker 1: going to have a crown of thorns placed on his head.

537
00:32:49,445 --> 00:32:52,045
Speaker 1: He knew his back would be torn open with the

538
00:32:52,165 --> 00:32:56,325
Speaker 1: Roman cat of nine tails. Worst of all, Jesus knew

539
00:32:57,005 --> 00:33:00,925
Speaker 1: that he who was sinless, would bear all the sin

540
00:33:01,245 --> 00:33:05,884
Speaker 1: of the world. And from that he recoiled and he prayed, Father,

541
00:33:06,125 --> 00:33:11,205
Speaker 1: if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless,

542
00:33:11,365 --> 00:33:15,485
Speaker 1: not my will, but yours be done. Doctor Luke tells

543
00:33:15,565 --> 00:33:19,485
Speaker 1: us that Jesus sweat as it were great drops of blood.

544
00:33:20,205 --> 00:33:25,725
Speaker 1: There's a medical condition that Doctor's called chema tridrosis, and

545
00:33:25,765 --> 00:33:29,364
Speaker 1: that happens when a person is under intense stress and

546
00:33:29,485 --> 00:33:35,045
Speaker 1: their perspiration is literally mixed with blood. It's possible. Doctor

547
00:33:35,125 --> 00:33:40,485
Speaker 1: Luke was describing that phenomena that Christ was experiencing as

548
00:33:40,485 --> 00:33:43,485
Speaker 1: he recoiled from burying the sin of the world. But

549
00:33:43,525 --> 00:33:47,604
Speaker 1: thankfully he went through with it for you and for me.

550
00:33:48,285 --> 00:33:52,084
Speaker 1: But we need to understand that God's will ultimately is

551
00:33:52,165 --> 00:33:56,565
Speaker 1: better than our will. Listen to this. When I pray,

552
00:33:56,925 --> 00:33:59,725
Speaker 1: I'm not trying to get God to do what I

553
00:33:59,844 --> 00:34:05,125
Speaker 1: want him to do. True praying is not overcoming God's

554
00:34:05,245 --> 00:34:09,884
Speaker 1: relf reluctance. It's taking hold of his willingness. Prayer is

555
00:34:09,885 --> 00:34:13,565
Speaker 1: not getting my will in heaven, it's getting God's will

556
00:34:13,925 --> 00:34:16,965
Speaker 1: on earth. Verse up five fourteen, we read this is

557
00:34:17,005 --> 00:34:19,805
Speaker 1: the confidence we have in him. If we ask anything

558
00:34:19,965 --> 00:34:23,725
Speaker 1: according to his will, he hears us, and we have

559
00:34:23,885 --> 00:34:28,605
Speaker 1: the petitions desired of him. Listen, nothing lies outside the

560
00:34:28,645 --> 00:34:31,805
Speaker 1: reach of prayer except that which lies outside of the

561
00:34:31,845 --> 00:34:35,645
Speaker 1: will of God. So the Lord only answers the request

562
00:34:35,685 --> 00:34:39,365
Speaker 1: that he himself inspires. So you know, I want to

563
00:34:39,405 --> 00:34:42,685
Speaker 1: get in alignment with God's will. That's the key. Jesus

564
00:34:42,685 --> 00:34:46,245
Speaker 1: made this amazing promise in Jump fifteen. If you abide

565
00:34:46,285 --> 00:34:48,565
Speaker 1: in me and my words, abiding you, you shall ask

566
00:34:48,605 --> 00:34:50,605
Speaker 1: what you will, and it shall be done unto you.

567
00:34:51,285 --> 00:34:54,565
Speaker 1: Another translation of that would go as follows Jesus speaking,

568
00:34:54,965 --> 00:34:58,045
Speaker 1: if you maintain a living communion with Me and my

569
00:34:58,165 --> 00:35:00,525
Speaker 1: word is at home and you you can ask it

570
00:35:00,685 --> 00:35:04,525
Speaker 1: once for yourself whatever your heart desires and its yours.

571
00:35:04,765 --> 00:35:09,125
Speaker 1: Oh that, whatever my heart desires. But yeah, they'll miss

572
00:35:09,125 --> 00:35:13,444
Speaker 1: the condition. That's the promise. What's the condition, Jesus says,

573
00:35:13,485 --> 00:35:17,205
Speaker 1: if you abide in Me and my Word is at

574
00:35:17,205 --> 00:35:20,685
Speaker 1: home in you. The way you discover the will of

575
00:35:20,725 --> 00:35:23,765
Speaker 1: God is by reading the word of God. There you

576
00:35:23,805 --> 00:35:27,405
Speaker 1: see the character of God, you see the great stories

577
00:35:27,485 --> 00:35:30,125
Speaker 1: that show him at work and the lives of his people,

578
00:35:30,405 --> 00:35:33,925
Speaker 1: and you learn how to start praying for his will.

579
00:35:34,005 --> 00:35:36,964
Speaker 1: So it's fine for you to bring whatever you think

580
00:35:37,045 --> 00:35:40,085
Speaker 1: you need for the Lord and ask for it. But

581
00:35:40,125 --> 00:35:44,125
Speaker 1: it's also important to add this little caveat not my will,

582
00:35:44,525 --> 00:35:48,685
Speaker 1: but yours be done. So let's put it all together.

583
00:35:49,125 --> 00:35:51,285
Speaker 1: Our Father Gord in heaven, how it would be your

584
00:35:51,365 --> 00:35:54,725
Speaker 1: name that kingdom come, That will be done on earth

585
00:35:55,085 --> 00:36:00,884
Speaker 1: as it is in heaven. Now the first petition, give

586
00:36:00,965 --> 00:36:04,325
Speaker 1: us this day our daily bread. I love that. Isn't

587
00:36:04,325 --> 00:36:08,844
Speaker 1: it amazing that God, the all knowing, all powerful, I'm

588
00:36:08,925 --> 00:36:12,485
Speaker 1: the present God who created the entire universe, would have

589
00:36:12,525 --> 00:36:17,405
Speaker 1: any personal interest in us. We just had that amazing

590
00:36:17,525 --> 00:36:21,125
Speaker 1: flight to the moon with the crew members of Artemis,

591
00:36:21,165 --> 00:36:24,605
Speaker 1: and they took some of the most amazing video I

592
00:36:24,645 --> 00:36:28,485
Speaker 1: have ever seen of the moon. And you think of

593
00:36:28,565 --> 00:36:32,765
Speaker 1: the God who created that and created the stars and

594
00:36:32,885 --> 00:36:37,125
Speaker 1: all of the universe interested in someone like you and

595
00:36:37,205 --> 00:36:40,965
Speaker 1: someone like me. Why? I don't know. I just know

596
00:36:41,165 --> 00:36:44,565
Speaker 1: that he does care. Joe writes in Job seven seventeen,

597
00:36:44,765 --> 00:36:46,884
Speaker 1: what is man that you make so much of him

598
00:36:47,085 --> 00:36:50,645
Speaker 1: and give him so much attention? The answer is simply this,

599
00:36:51,125 --> 00:36:56,125
Speaker 1: because he loves us. Jesus says later in Luke chapter eleven, Hey,

600
00:36:56,125 --> 00:36:58,125
Speaker 1: if a son asks his father for brad well, the

601
00:36:58,165 --> 00:37:01,245
Speaker 1: father give him a stone. If he asks for a fish,

602
00:37:01,285 --> 00:37:03,884
Speaker 1: will he give him a snake? If he asks him

603
00:37:03,885 --> 00:37:06,405
Speaker 1: for an egg, will he offer him I'm a scorpion?

604
00:37:07,005 --> 00:37:09,605
Speaker 1: And then Jesus says, so, if you sinful people know

605
00:37:09,645 --> 00:37:12,205
Speaker 1: how to give good gifts to your kids, how much

606
00:37:12,245 --> 00:37:15,205
Speaker 1: more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to

607
00:37:15,245 --> 00:37:17,924
Speaker 1: those who ask them. I mean, imagine your little boy

608
00:37:17,925 --> 00:37:20,965
Speaker 1: comes you, daddy, Can I have a tuna sandwich? No?

609
00:37:21,085 --> 00:37:23,765
Speaker 1: But you can have a rock? Wait? What come on?

610
00:37:24,485 --> 00:37:28,525
Speaker 1: Fathers want to provide for their children, and your heavenly

611
00:37:28,605 --> 00:37:33,285
Speaker 1: father wants to provide for you as well. But notice

612
00:37:33,325 --> 00:37:38,085
Speaker 1: the phrasing that is used here, give us this day

613
00:37:38,205 --> 00:37:42,165
Speaker 1: our daily bread, not pay us this day our daily

614
00:37:42,205 --> 00:37:45,525
Speaker 1: bread that you owe us, No give us. It's an

615
00:37:45,565 --> 00:37:49,125
Speaker 1: acknowledgment that everything that I have comes from God. It's

616
00:37:49,165 --> 00:37:53,325
Speaker 1: actually not mine, it's his. Listen, the breath you've draw

617
00:37:53,365 --> 00:37:56,085
Speaker 1: on your lungs right now, that's a gift from God.

618
00:37:56,205 --> 00:37:59,205
Speaker 1: The beat of your heart, that too, is a gift

619
00:37:59,445 --> 00:38:02,725
Speaker 1: from God. Heard about a lady that was getting ready

620
00:38:02,765 --> 00:38:05,085
Speaker 1: to catch her flight, and she bought a bag of

621
00:38:05,125 --> 00:38:07,404
Speaker 1: cookie and she was sitting down at one of those

622
00:38:07,925 --> 00:38:11,245
Speaker 1: open tables to enjoy them. There was another gentleman seated

623
00:38:11,285 --> 00:38:14,165
Speaker 1: there already, and so she opened her bag and took

624
00:38:14,205 --> 00:38:16,645
Speaker 1: the first cookie out and was eating it, and then

625
00:38:16,685 --> 00:38:19,325
Speaker 1: heard a rustling in the bag and looked over and

626
00:38:19,365 --> 00:38:21,685
Speaker 1: he had his head in her cookie bag, and he

627
00:38:21,805 --> 00:38:23,925
Speaker 1: took a cookie. She thought, how dare this man take

628
00:38:23,965 --> 00:38:26,805
Speaker 1: my cookie? She glared at him, he kind of smiled

629
00:38:26,805 --> 00:38:30,285
Speaker 1: at her. She reached in took another cookie. He too,

630
00:38:30,365 --> 00:38:34,325
Speaker 1: reached into her bag and took another of her cookies.

631
00:38:34,565 --> 00:38:36,765
Speaker 1: Then she reached and took a third, so did he.

632
00:38:37,125 --> 00:38:39,325
Speaker 1: They got to the bottom of the bag rather quickly.

633
00:38:39,365 --> 00:38:42,365
Speaker 1: There was one cookie left, and he grabbed it, broken

634
00:38:42,445 --> 00:38:46,285
Speaker 1: in half, smiled and offered it to her. She ate

635
00:38:46,405 --> 00:38:49,765
Speaker 1: her half of the cookie, grabbed her purse, got up,

636
00:38:49,925 --> 00:38:53,645
Speaker 1: stormed away so angry that man was stealing my cookies.

637
00:38:53,685 --> 00:38:55,965
Speaker 1: And she opened up her purse to get a plane

638
00:38:56,005 --> 00:38:59,365
Speaker 1: ticket out and noticed her bag of cookies was in

639
00:38:59,445 --> 00:39:03,365
Speaker 1: the purse. Ah, he was not eating her cookies, she

640
00:39:03,565 --> 00:39:07,085
Speaker 1: was eating his. You see, it's generous enough to share

641
00:39:07,125 --> 00:39:09,565
Speaker 1: the last one with her. That's us in God, We

642
00:39:09,605 --> 00:39:14,445
Speaker 1: say it's my cookies, my life, my choices, my future.

643
00:39:14,565 --> 00:39:18,205
Speaker 1: Hold on. Now, you belong to God, and you need

644
00:39:18,245 --> 00:39:20,525
Speaker 1: to come to him on a daily basis and say,

645
00:39:20,885 --> 00:39:24,405
Speaker 1: give me this day my daily bread. This verse is

646
00:39:24,445 --> 00:39:29,045
Speaker 1: a reminder that we are completely dependent on God. James

647
00:39:29,045 --> 00:39:32,285
Speaker 1: one seventeen says every good gift and every perfect gift

648
00:39:32,365 --> 00:39:35,405
Speaker 1: is from above and comes down from the Father of lights,

649
00:39:35,525 --> 00:39:39,645
Speaker 1: with whom there is no variation or shadow of Jurney.

650
00:39:40,085 --> 00:39:42,565
Speaker 1: Now does this mean we just sit back and do nothing?

651
00:39:42,885 --> 00:39:45,805
Speaker 1: Absolutely not. The Bible says of a man doesn't work,

652
00:39:46,005 --> 00:39:49,645
Speaker 1: he shouldn't eat, Okay, So we need to be responsible.

653
00:39:50,045 --> 00:39:52,245
Speaker 1: We need to get a job or we need to

654
00:39:52,285 --> 00:39:55,965
Speaker 1: be good stewards, and then we need to be generous

655
00:39:56,005 --> 00:39:58,085
Speaker 1: with the things that God gives us as well, and

656
00:39:58,165 --> 00:40:01,645
Speaker 1: remember to invest in the work of the Kingdom of God.

657
00:40:02,005 --> 00:40:04,645
Speaker 1: And Jesus teaches us to pray, give us this day

658
00:40:04,645 --> 00:40:08,085
Speaker 1: our daily bread. You see, bread was a staple of

659
00:40:08,165 --> 00:40:11,165
Speaker 1: the first century diet. They would pretty much have bread

660
00:40:11,525 --> 00:40:14,645
Speaker 1: with whatever else they were eating. Nobody was on the

661
00:40:14,725 --> 00:40:18,365
Speaker 1: keto diet back then. What's the new one? The carnivore diet?

662
00:40:18,525 --> 00:40:21,165
Speaker 1: What is that where you go and eat animals alive

663
00:40:21,285 --> 00:40:23,805
Speaker 1: like carnivores. Do I know this? And I know it's

664
00:40:24,085 --> 00:40:28,365
Speaker 1: primarily meat, high protein, Okay, But in the first century

665
00:40:28,445 --> 00:40:32,285
Speaker 1: they eat bread. Bread was important. So when you're praying,

666
00:40:32,325 --> 00:40:34,685
Speaker 1: give me this date my daily bread. I'm not praying

667
00:40:35,045 --> 00:40:38,485
Speaker 1: just for bread. I'm praying for provision. Lord, give me

668
00:40:39,125 --> 00:40:43,525
Speaker 1: my daily food. Lord, give me a roof over my head,

669
00:40:43,645 --> 00:40:48,645
Speaker 1: Give me Lord a career, a paycheck, provide for my needs.

670
00:40:48,645 --> 00:40:50,725
Speaker 1: You know, it's a funny thing. Back in the sixties

671
00:40:51,365 --> 00:40:54,365
Speaker 1: we referred to money as bread. Don't ask me why.

672
00:40:54,605 --> 00:40:57,245
Speaker 1: It's a Hey, dude, you have any bread, which meant

673
00:40:57,285 --> 00:41:00,085
Speaker 1: can you give me money, you know. So. But the

674
00:41:00,125 --> 00:41:02,525
Speaker 1: idea is, we're coming to the Lord and we're saying, Lord,

675
00:41:03,045 --> 00:41:06,085
Speaker 1: give me my daily bread, provide for my needs, and

676
00:41:06,205 --> 00:41:11,605
Speaker 1: I acknowledge that everything I need comes from You. Okay,

677
00:41:11,605 --> 00:41:14,525
Speaker 1: so let's put it all together. Our Father warn in heaven,

678
00:41:14,885 --> 00:41:18,845
Speaker 1: hollow would be thy name. So I start with contemplating

679
00:41:18,885 --> 00:41:23,245
Speaker 1: the awesomeness and greatness of God. Thy kingdom come, that

680
00:41:23,365 --> 00:41:25,445
Speaker 1: will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

681
00:41:25,645 --> 00:41:28,165
Speaker 1: I'm praying for the rule and reign of Jesus Christ

682
00:41:28,205 --> 00:41:31,165
Speaker 1: and my life. I'm praying for Christ to return to

683
00:41:31,205 --> 00:41:34,445
Speaker 1: this earth again. And I'm praying for my friends and

684
00:41:34,485 --> 00:41:36,725
Speaker 1: loved ones and people I know to come to know

685
00:41:37,005 --> 00:41:41,045
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ and then give me this day my daily bread.

686
00:41:41,325 --> 00:41:45,085
Speaker 1: I'm acknowledging everything that I have comes from God, and

687
00:41:45,125 --> 00:41:49,085
Speaker 1: I'm acknowledging my dependence upon God. And now I pray

688
00:41:49,285 --> 00:41:52,965
Speaker 1: forgive me my sins as I forgive those who have

689
00:41:53,045 --> 00:41:57,125
Speaker 1: sinned against us. Just as surely as we need to

690
00:41:57,205 --> 00:42:01,365
Speaker 1: pray for daily bread, we need to pray for daily

691
00:42:01,525 --> 00:42:07,765
Speaker 1: forgiveness because you and I we sin every day. There's

692
00:42:07,805 --> 00:42:12,765
Speaker 1: all kinds of ways to define sin. Sin is defined

693
00:42:12,925 --> 00:42:16,645
Speaker 1: as missing the mark, and God has sent a mark

694
00:42:16,685 --> 00:42:19,285
Speaker 1: of perfection for all of humanity. And the Bible says,

695
00:42:19,325 --> 00:42:21,765
Speaker 1: all of sin and fallen short of the glory of God.

696
00:42:21,805 --> 00:42:24,685
Speaker 1: There's not one righteous, no, not one. So we've all

697
00:42:24,685 --> 00:42:28,045
Speaker 1: fallen short of God's mark. But then sin also means

698
00:42:28,045 --> 00:42:30,364
Speaker 1: to cross the line. The Bible speaks of being dead

699
00:42:30,445 --> 00:42:33,645
Speaker 1: in trespassing sin. You know, like when you go into

700
00:42:33,685 --> 00:42:36,485
Speaker 1: a city park and maybe they just planted grass, and

701
00:42:36,565 --> 00:42:40,325
Speaker 1: it says no trespassing when you step on that grass,

702
00:42:40,405 --> 00:42:44,725
Speaker 1: or trespassing. So when you break a commandment thou shall

703
00:42:44,765 --> 00:42:47,285
Speaker 1: not lie, thou shall not steal, Thou shall not take

704
00:42:47,325 --> 00:42:49,325
Speaker 1: the lords in the name in vain, you do one

705
00:42:49,365 --> 00:42:52,965
Speaker 1: of those things, that's trespass. So sin is falling short,

706
00:42:53,365 --> 00:42:56,445
Speaker 1: sin is crossing the line. But sin can also be

707
00:42:56,565 --> 00:42:59,245
Speaker 1: not doing what you're supposed to do. The Bible says

708
00:42:59,285 --> 00:43:01,125
Speaker 1: to him that knows to do good and does not

709
00:43:01,245 --> 00:43:03,285
Speaker 1: do it, to him, it is sin. So there are

710
00:43:03,325 --> 00:43:07,645
Speaker 1: sins of commission and omission. Commission that's done the bad stuff.

711
00:43:07,645 --> 00:43:11,165
Speaker 1: Oh mission, it's not doing the good stuff. So the

712
00:43:11,245 --> 00:43:14,565
Speaker 1: Lord might direct you share the Gospel with that person,

713
00:43:14,645 --> 00:43:17,285
Speaker 1: and we say no way. Like Jonah go in the

714
00:43:17,285 --> 00:43:20,125
Speaker 1: opposite direction. Or the Lord might say put down your

715
00:43:20,125 --> 00:43:21,885
Speaker 1: phone and open up the Bible and we say I

716
00:43:21,885 --> 00:43:24,565
Speaker 1: don't want to. Or the Lord might direct us to

717
00:43:24,645 --> 00:43:28,325
Speaker 1: apologize to our spouse for our shortness of temper. I

718
00:43:28,325 --> 00:43:29,965
Speaker 1: don't want to do that. See, that can be a

719
00:43:30,005 --> 00:43:33,165
Speaker 1: sin too. So my point is you need to ask

720
00:43:33,205 --> 00:43:37,725
Speaker 1: God to forgive you of your sin each and every day.

721
00:43:37,845 --> 00:43:42,605
Speaker 1: Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have

722
00:43:42,765 --> 00:43:47,165
Speaker 1: sinned against us. Ah easier said than done. C. S.

723
00:43:47,245 --> 00:43:51,605
Speaker 1: Lewis said it best quote. Everyone says forgiveness is a

724
00:43:51,605 --> 00:43:57,605
Speaker 1: lovely idea until they have someone to forgive right end quote.

725
00:43:57,885 --> 00:44:00,165
Speaker 1: So let me ask you directly, is there someone who

726
00:44:00,165 --> 00:44:03,125
Speaker 1: has heard you that you need to forgive? Bottom line,

727
00:44:03,245 --> 00:44:06,005
Speaker 1: We're going to hurt people in life. We're going to

728
00:44:06,085 --> 00:44:08,645
Speaker 1: be hurt by people in life, so we're going to

729
00:44:08,725 --> 00:44:11,045
Speaker 1: have to learn how to forgive. One of the most

730
00:44:11,085 --> 00:44:15,925
Speaker 1: amazing demonstrations of forgiveness that I've ever seen is the

731
00:44:16,005 --> 00:44:20,525
Speaker 1: forgiveness that was extended by Erica Kirk toward the man

732
00:44:21,125 --> 00:44:26,645
Speaker 1: who assassinated her husband. You remember at Charlie Kirk's memorial service.

733
00:44:26,685 --> 00:44:30,245
Speaker 1: That was one of the most powerful times of seeing

734
00:44:30,245 --> 00:44:34,885
Speaker 1: the gospel presented to an international audience that's ever been staged.

735
00:44:35,925 --> 00:44:39,325
Speaker 1: Erica got up before that crowd and said, of the

736
00:44:39,365 --> 00:44:44,165
Speaker 1: men that took Charlie's life, I forgive this man. But

737
00:44:44,285 --> 00:44:48,445
Speaker 1: you know that's important for the man. He needs God's forgiveness,

738
00:44:48,525 --> 00:44:52,205
Speaker 1: he needs to repent. But it's also important for the

739
00:44:52,245 --> 00:44:57,125
Speaker 1: person that is extending the forgiveness. It's been said, when

740
00:44:57,125 --> 00:45:00,485
Speaker 1: you forgive a person, you set a prisoner free yourself.

741
00:45:01,125 --> 00:45:05,765
Speaker 1: You See, when you harbor unforgiveness, it eats you up inside.

742
00:45:06,085 --> 00:45:10,685
Speaker 1: Not forgiving someone is like drinking rat poison and waiting

743
00:45:10,725 --> 00:45:14,125
Speaker 1: for the rat to die. See, the problem is you're

744
00:45:14,165 --> 00:45:17,965
Speaker 1: going to be destroyed by your unforgiveness. When you harbor

745
00:45:18,485 --> 00:45:23,565
Speaker 1: and resentment and you refuse to forgive, you're actually grieving

746
00:45:23,645 --> 00:45:27,085
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. Ephesians four point thirty says, don't bring

747
00:45:27,325 --> 00:45:30,925
Speaker 1: sorrow to God's Holy Spirit. Isn't that interesting brings sorrow?

748
00:45:31,205 --> 00:45:36,325
Speaker 1: You can make God's Holy Spirit sorrowful by the way

749
00:45:36,325 --> 00:45:40,525
Speaker 1: that you live. Paul continues, get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger,

750
00:45:40,605 --> 00:45:44,045
Speaker 1: harsh words, and slender These are things that bring sorrow

751
00:45:44,125 --> 00:45:46,645
Speaker 1: to the Holy Spirit, as well as all types of

752
00:45:46,685 --> 00:45:49,845
Speaker 1: malicious behavior. Man think of all the stuff that people

753
00:45:49,965 --> 00:45:55,285
Speaker 1: post on social media, the slander, the lies, the the triol.

754
00:45:55,965 --> 00:46:00,685
Speaker 1: Don't be one of those people. Instead, Ephesians continues to say,

755
00:46:01,565 --> 00:46:06,565
Speaker 1: be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just

756
00:46:06,605 --> 00:46:10,045
Speaker 1: as God through Christ has forgiven you. So here's a

757
00:46:10,085 --> 00:46:14,005
Speaker 1: little bonus on the topic of forgiveness. Research has shown

758
00:46:14,085 --> 00:46:17,045
Speaker 1: that people who refuse to forgive are more likely to

759
00:46:17,205 --> 00:46:22,365
Speaker 1: experience high blood pressure, depression, and problems with anger, stress,

760
00:46:22,645 --> 00:46:27,245
Speaker 1: and anxiety. So listen, forgiveness isn't just good for you spiritually,

761
00:46:27,965 --> 00:46:30,645
Speaker 1: it might help you to live longer too. Now we

762
00:46:30,725 --> 00:46:34,805
Speaker 1: come to the next petition, Do not lead us into temptation,

763
00:46:35,405 --> 00:46:38,725
Speaker 1: but deliver us from evil. All right, So, our Father

764
00:46:38,845 --> 00:46:41,725
Speaker 1: ward in heaven, Hollywood be your name, your kingdom. Come

765
00:46:42,005 --> 00:46:43,925
Speaker 1: will be done on earth as said is in heaven.

766
00:46:44,245 --> 00:46:47,165
Speaker 1: Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us

767
00:46:47,245 --> 00:46:50,765
Speaker 1: our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us,

768
00:46:51,045 --> 00:46:54,685
Speaker 1: and deliver us from evil. In other words, they're saying, Lord,

769
00:46:54,725 --> 00:46:58,525
Speaker 1: don't let me be tempted above my capacity to resist.

770
00:46:58,685 --> 00:47:03,445
Speaker 1: Here's the problem with temptation. It's so tempting. I mean,

771
00:47:04,005 --> 00:47:06,405
Speaker 1: you know, the devil knows what he's doing. Right. He

772
00:47:06,485 --> 00:47:09,485
Speaker 1: knows how to make bad stuff look good and even

773
00:47:09,805 --> 00:47:14,565
Speaker 1: sometimes good stuff look bad. He's a liar, he's the

774
00:47:14,605 --> 00:47:17,525
Speaker 1: father of lies, and he'll get you to take that

775
00:47:17,605 --> 00:47:22,285
Speaker 1: first bite. Have you ever been to Krispy Kream donuts? Okay?

776
00:47:22,365 --> 00:47:25,365
Speaker 1: So the key to Krispy Kream is you want that

777
00:47:25,485 --> 00:47:28,045
Speaker 1: little sign to be lit up. And what that means

778
00:47:28,085 --> 00:47:31,085
Speaker 1: is they're making the donuts fresh. And I'll tell you,

779
00:47:31,125 --> 00:47:36,325
Speaker 1: a freshly made glazed donut from Krispy Cream is incredible.

780
00:47:36,565 --> 00:47:38,884
Speaker 1: And sometimes you walk into Krispy Kream and they'll give

781
00:47:38,925 --> 00:47:41,925
Speaker 1: you a free donut. You see, will They're so generous. Now,

782
00:47:41,965 --> 00:47:44,205
Speaker 1: they're smart because they know if you eat that first donut,

783
00:47:44,245 --> 00:47:46,884
Speaker 1: you're gonna walk want more. Right, And by the way,

784
00:47:46,925 --> 00:47:50,245
Speaker 1: the donuts are slightly smaller than a normal donut. So

785
00:47:50,365 --> 00:47:52,805
Speaker 1: I've gone and eaten I think seven is my record.

786
00:47:53,045 --> 00:47:56,404
Speaker 1: He probably shouldn't admit that, but yeah, I've eaten a lot,

787
00:47:56,565 --> 00:47:58,925
Speaker 1: washed them down with some cold milk. So good. The

788
00:47:58,965 --> 00:48:01,405
Speaker 1: first one tastes so good, but then you know twenty

789
00:48:01,445 --> 00:48:05,165
Speaker 1: minutes later, all that dough is sitting in your stomach

790
00:48:05,565 --> 00:48:07,885
Speaker 1: and that sugar's affecting you, and you go into a

791
00:48:07,925 --> 00:48:10,405
Speaker 1: food coma and you're not feeling so good about it.

792
00:48:10,525 --> 00:48:13,645
Speaker 1: Sorry to compare Chrispy Gream donuts to sin. I actually

793
00:48:13,725 --> 00:48:16,885
Speaker 1: think they're great. I love them. But that's how sin works.

794
00:48:16,925 --> 00:48:19,205
Speaker 1: Oh it's so fun at first, you know, the Bible

795
00:48:19,285 --> 00:48:23,325
Speaker 1: Eving acknowledges sin can be pleasurable for a time, but

796
00:48:23,485 --> 00:48:27,045
Speaker 1: afterwards brings death. You know, it would be exciting to

797
00:48:27,125 --> 00:48:30,404
Speaker 1: jump out of the Empire State building without a parachute.

798
00:48:30,485 --> 00:48:32,725
Speaker 1: You're having so much fun until you hit the ground.

799
00:48:33,445 --> 00:48:35,605
Speaker 1: And sin is the same way. Oh, it might be

800
00:48:35,685 --> 00:48:39,165
Speaker 1: fun in exhilarating and even pleasurable for a time, but

801
00:48:39,205 --> 00:48:43,085
Speaker 1: then you face the consequences of it. So you're saying, Lord,

802
00:48:44,005 --> 00:48:46,565
Speaker 1: don't give me more than I can handle. Here's the thing,

803
00:48:47,485 --> 00:48:50,045
Speaker 1: if you look back at any temptation you've ever given

804
00:48:50,085 --> 00:48:52,645
Speaker 1: in to, you would have to acknowledge that there was

805
00:48:52,765 --> 00:48:56,885
Speaker 1: always a way out, wasn't there. First Corinthians ten thirteen

806
00:48:57,005 --> 00:49:00,364
Speaker 1: says there is no temptation taking you, but such as

807
00:49:00,445 --> 00:49:05,765
Speaker 1: is common demand, meaning that we all face the same temptations. God,

808
00:49:05,765 --> 00:49:08,365
Speaker 1: who is faithful, will not allow you to be tempted

809
00:49:08,885 --> 00:49:13,165
Speaker 1: above your ability to resist, but will with the temptation

810
00:49:13,445 --> 00:49:15,845
Speaker 1: give you a way of escape that you may be

811
00:49:15,885 --> 00:49:18,805
Speaker 1: able to bear it. Sometimes that way of escape is

812
00:49:18,845 --> 00:49:21,685
Speaker 1: as simple as walking out of door. Remember the story

813
00:49:21,685 --> 00:49:24,765
Speaker 1: of Joseph, when Potterver's wife pulled him down on the

814
00:49:24,765 --> 00:49:27,245
Speaker 1: bed and said, lie with me. He did, with any

815
00:49:27,285 --> 00:49:30,965
Speaker 1: clear thinking, red blooded young man or woman should do

816
00:49:31,045 --> 00:49:35,565
Speaker 1: under such circumstances, he ran like crazy. That was the

817
00:49:35,685 --> 00:49:39,605
Speaker 1: right reaction. So sometimes it's going out the door. Sometimes

818
00:49:39,645 --> 00:49:43,125
Speaker 1: it's pushing the off button of the remote control. Sometimes

819
00:49:43,165 --> 00:49:47,365
Speaker 1: it's terminating the conversation or the text thread. It's just

820
00:49:47,405 --> 00:49:52,125
Speaker 1: a practical thing. There's always a way out. Lord, don't

821
00:49:52,205 --> 00:49:56,685
Speaker 1: let me be tempted above my capacity to resist. Deliver

822
00:49:56,805 --> 00:50:00,205
Speaker 1: me from the evil one. And then it concludes, for

823
00:50:00,325 --> 00:50:03,325
Speaker 1: Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory.

824
00:50:04,285 --> 00:50:06,245
Speaker 1: So there's one more thing I'm going to tell you

825
00:50:06,285 --> 00:50:11,125
Speaker 1: about prayer, and this one is really important. So there's

826
00:50:11,125 --> 00:50:12,845
Speaker 1: one more thing I want to talk about, and it

827
00:50:12,925 --> 00:50:15,805
Speaker 1: might be the most important thing of all in this

828
00:50:15,845 --> 00:50:19,725
Speaker 1: whole conversation about prayer. What do you do when you

829
00:50:19,805 --> 00:50:25,485
Speaker 1: pray and nothing seems to happen. So Jesus addresses this directly,

830
00:50:25,765 --> 00:50:28,285
Speaker 1: and look, Alvin, he says, asking it shall be given

831
00:50:28,325 --> 00:50:31,964
Speaker 1: to you seeking, he shall find knocking. The door shall

832
00:50:32,045 --> 00:50:35,205
Speaker 1: be open. See here's a framework that I found really

833
00:50:35,285 --> 00:50:38,845
Speaker 1: helps when a prayer doesn't seem to be getting answered.

834
00:50:39,445 --> 00:50:42,845
Speaker 1: If the request is wrong, God says no. If the

835
00:50:42,965 --> 00:50:46,765
Speaker 1: timing is wrong, God says slow. If you are wrong,

836
00:50:46,845 --> 00:50:49,605
Speaker 1: God says grow. But if the request is right and

837
00:50:49,645 --> 00:50:52,485
Speaker 1: the timing is right and you are right, God says go.

838
00:50:53,325 --> 00:50:56,165
Speaker 1: You see, Sometimes we say, oh, well I pray and

839
00:50:56,285 --> 00:50:58,805
Speaker 1: God didn't answer my prayer. Well, maybe you didn't like

840
00:50:58,845 --> 00:51:02,805
Speaker 1: the answer he gave. No is an answer right, Maybe

841
00:51:02,845 --> 00:51:06,005
Speaker 1: you wanted a yes. But sometimes, when it passing enough time,

842
00:51:06,045 --> 00:51:08,525
Speaker 1: you look back on life and you say, Lord, thank

843
00:51:08,565 --> 00:51:11,805
Speaker 1: you for saying no on that particular prayer, because I

844
00:51:11,845 --> 00:51:14,885
Speaker 1: realize now in retrospect, that would have been the worst

845
00:51:14,925 --> 00:51:17,725
Speaker 1: thing that could have happened to me. Sometimes we pray

846
00:51:17,765 --> 00:51:20,365
Speaker 1: about something once or twice and we give up. But

847
00:51:20,445 --> 00:51:24,485
Speaker 1: God might be saying slow, like it's just not my timing.

848
00:51:24,925 --> 00:51:28,165
Speaker 1: Keep asking. I want you to look at the verbs

849
00:51:28,165 --> 00:51:31,565
Speaker 1: that Jesus uses, ask, seek, and knock. Actually, it's all

850
00:51:31,605 --> 00:51:38,645
Speaker 1: summed up in the acronym ask a s k ask, seek, knock. Actually,

851
00:51:38,645 --> 00:51:43,285
Speaker 1: in the original language, they escalate in intensity, let me illustrate.

852
00:51:43,925 --> 00:51:48,125
Speaker 1: Ask just means you ask for assistance. You come to

853
00:51:48,165 --> 00:51:50,085
Speaker 1: the Lord and say, Lord, would you do this for me?

854
00:51:50,325 --> 00:51:53,285
Speaker 1: Asking it shall be given? But seek is different. It

855
00:51:53,325 --> 00:51:56,885
Speaker 1: means asking plus action. You're not just expressing the need.

856
00:51:57,365 --> 00:52:02,325
Speaker 1: You're like, you're actually storming God's throne about this. You're

857
00:52:02,365 --> 00:52:05,965
Speaker 1: being persistent in your prayer, and not means ask plus

858
00:52:06,045 --> 00:52:10,365
Speaker 1: action plus perseverance. It's like pounding on a closed door.

859
00:52:11,005 --> 00:52:15,125
Speaker 1: Jesus actually illustrates this and says, which of you if

860
00:52:15,165 --> 00:52:17,165
Speaker 1: you had gone to sleep for the night and had

861
00:52:17,165 --> 00:52:19,965
Speaker 1: someone pound on your door, would get up and answer

862
00:52:20,045 --> 00:52:23,165
Speaker 1: the door. So back in the first century, everybody would

863
00:52:23,365 --> 00:52:26,125
Speaker 1: sleep in the same room and little mats on the floor.

864
00:52:26,485 --> 00:52:29,444
Speaker 1: Mom and dad were their, Grandma and grandpa were there,

865
00:52:30,285 --> 00:52:33,485
Speaker 1: the kids were there, maybe a couple of the animals

866
00:52:33,525 --> 00:52:36,005
Speaker 1: were there, and so when you went to bed at night,

867
00:52:36,045 --> 00:52:39,805
Speaker 1: it was kind of a production to get up. And

868
00:52:39,885 --> 00:52:42,765
Speaker 1: so let's say some dude lives next to you and

869
00:52:42,805 --> 00:52:45,605
Speaker 1: he starts banging at your door at twelve o'clock at night,

870
00:52:45,845 --> 00:52:49,005
Speaker 1: and you're like, go away, we're asleep, and he keeps knocking.

871
00:52:49,085 --> 00:52:51,565
Speaker 1: Go away, and he keeps pounding. You're going to answer

872
00:52:51,605 --> 00:52:54,205
Speaker 1: the door to just get him to go away. Jesus

873
00:52:54,405 --> 00:52:59,365
Speaker 1: uses that opposite illustration to show how different God is.

874
00:52:59,445 --> 00:53:02,645
Speaker 1: So if you would go and answer that neighbor just

875
00:53:02,805 --> 00:53:05,565
Speaker 1: to get him to stop banging on your door, how

876
00:53:05,605 --> 00:53:08,565
Speaker 1: much more will your heavenly Father, who loves you and

877
00:53:08,725 --> 00:53:12,205
Speaker 1: is looking out for your best interest, answer your prayer.

878
00:53:12,405 --> 00:53:16,645
Speaker 1: But you have to keep praying, ask, seek, and knock.

879
00:53:16,965 --> 00:53:20,245
Speaker 1: Don't give up, press on. It can be truan to

880
00:53:20,285 --> 00:53:25,805
Speaker 1: stated this way. Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Jesus

881
00:53:25,885 --> 00:53:31,165
Speaker 1: is calling us to passionate persistent prayer. Let me close

882
00:53:31,165 --> 00:53:36,485
Speaker 1: with this. We're talking about prayer, but prayer, having a

883
00:53:36,525 --> 00:53:40,445
Speaker 1: prayer life is a privilege for the child of God.

884
00:53:40,725 --> 00:53:44,325
Speaker 1: Now non believers can pray. I remember before I was

885
00:53:44,365 --> 00:53:47,045
Speaker 1: a Christian, I would pray, God, get me out of

886
00:53:47,045 --> 00:53:50,245
Speaker 1: this and I'll serve you. Of course, I never kept

887
00:53:50,285 --> 00:53:51,965
Speaker 1: up my end of the bargain, but I called out

888
00:53:51,965 --> 00:53:56,485
Speaker 1: to God. But only the Christian can really have a

889
00:53:56,525 --> 00:53:59,245
Speaker 1: prayer life. The one prayer that a non believer can

890
00:53:59,365 --> 00:54:03,125
Speaker 1: pray is what we might call the sinner's prayer. It's

891
00:54:03,165 --> 00:54:05,165
Speaker 1: in a story that Jesus told of two men that

892
00:54:05,205 --> 00:54:07,965
Speaker 1: went to the temple to pray. One was a pharisee

893
00:54:07,965 --> 00:54:10,765
Speaker 1: that means a very religious, devout man. The other was

894
00:54:10,765 --> 00:54:13,965
Speaker 1: a tax collector, which was just another way of saying

895
00:54:14,085 --> 00:54:18,924
Speaker 1: a sinner. And the religious man prayed thus with himself, God,

896
00:54:18,965 --> 00:54:21,725
Speaker 1: I think, oh, I'm not like other men. I fast

897
00:54:21,805 --> 00:54:24,565
Speaker 1: twice a week, I give tithes at all that I possess,

898
00:54:24,965 --> 00:54:27,365
Speaker 1: and I'm thankful. I'm not like this guy next to me,

899
00:54:27,445 --> 00:54:31,525
Speaker 1: pointing to the tax collector. And that sinful man just said, Lord,

900
00:54:31,645 --> 00:54:35,365
Speaker 1: be merciful to me a sinner. Actually a better translation

901
00:54:35,445 --> 00:54:38,845
Speaker 1: would be God be merciful to me the sinner. He

902
00:54:38,925 --> 00:54:41,844
Speaker 1: knew he was a sinner, And Jesus said that man,

903
00:54:42,085 --> 00:54:46,165
Speaker 1: the sinner, who was honest to God, went down justified

904
00:54:46,245 --> 00:54:49,405
Speaker 1: before the Lord, not the religious guide. So if you're

905
00:54:49,445 --> 00:54:51,925
Speaker 1: not a Christian yet, you need to pray that prayer,

906
00:54:52,405 --> 00:54:57,165
Speaker 1: God be merciful to me the sinner. Admit your sin,

907
00:54:57,325 --> 00:54:59,605
Speaker 1: ask God to forgive you of your sin. You see,

908
00:54:59,605 --> 00:55:03,245
Speaker 1: there's a barrier that separates us from God called sin.

909
00:55:04,165 --> 00:55:07,125
Speaker 1: God says, it's not that I is heavy so I

910
00:55:07,165 --> 00:55:09,725
Speaker 1: can't hear you. It's not that my hand is short

911
00:55:09,805 --> 00:55:13,005
Speaker 1: that I can't save you. Your sins have separated you

912
00:55:13,125 --> 00:55:15,685
Speaker 1: from me, But then the Bible also says that we

913
00:55:15,765 --> 00:55:19,325
Speaker 1: will confess our sins. He's faithful and just to forgive

914
00:55:19,405 --> 00:55:23,964
Speaker 1: us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Would

915
00:55:24,005 --> 00:55:27,085
Speaker 1: you like to have a relationship with God as your

916
00:55:27,165 --> 00:55:31,085
Speaker 1: father in heaven. Would you like Jesus Christ to come

917
00:55:31,165 --> 00:55:34,405
Speaker 1: into your life and be your savior and lord and

918
00:55:34,485 --> 00:55:38,365
Speaker 1: have the Kingdom of God ruling in your life. Would

919
00:55:38,365 --> 00:55:40,845
Speaker 1: you like to fill that deep hole inside of you

920
00:55:40,925 --> 00:55:43,485
Speaker 1: that maybe you've tried to fill with things that this

921
00:55:43,605 --> 00:55:47,485
Speaker 1: culture or this world offers. Then you need to just pray,

922
00:55:48,125 --> 00:55:52,125
Speaker 1: because Jesus he's just a prayer away. And if you

923
00:55:52,165 --> 00:55:55,085
Speaker 1: would like to pray a sinner's prayer, so to speak,

924
00:55:55,125 --> 00:55:57,645
Speaker 1: if you would like Jesus to come into your life,

925
00:55:57,885 --> 00:56:00,845
Speaker 1: why don't you just pause right now and pray with me.

926
00:56:01,005 --> 00:56:03,845
Speaker 1: You can pray this after me if you like. Just pray,

927
00:56:04,245 --> 00:56:07,925
Speaker 1: Lord Jesus. I know that I'm a sinner, but I

928
00:56:08,005 --> 00:56:11,445
Speaker 1: thank you that you are the savior who died in

929
00:56:11,525 --> 00:56:15,685
Speaker 1: the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead.

930
00:56:16,045 --> 00:56:18,605
Speaker 1: I turned from my sin now and I choose to

931
00:56:18,725 --> 00:56:23,165
Speaker 1: follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for hearing

932
00:56:23,205 --> 00:56:28,565
Speaker 1: this prayer and answering this prayer in Jesus' name, I pray, Amen,

933
00:56:29,485 --> 00:56:32,125
Speaker 1: did you just pray that prayer? If so, I want

934
00:56:32,165 --> 00:56:36,845
Speaker 1: to congratulate you and welcome you to the family of God. Listen,

935
00:56:36,885 --> 00:56:39,165
Speaker 1: I'd like to send you a free gift. It's called

936
00:56:39,205 --> 00:56:43,365
Speaker 1: the New Believer's Bible, which is a very understandable translation

937
00:56:43,485 --> 00:56:46,405
Speaker 1: of the New Testament, along with hundreds of notes that

938
00:56:46,445 --> 00:56:49,525
Speaker 1: I wrote that will encourage you in this commitment you've

939
00:56:49,565 --> 00:56:53,845
Speaker 1: made to follow Jesus. So God bless you and keep praying.