1 00:00:01,290 --> 00:00:05,210 Speaker 1: There's a name for God that appears in only one 2 00:00:05,269 --> 00:00:09,980 Speaker 1: place in the entire Bible. A dad gave it to 3 00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:12,540 Speaker 1: God on a mountain on the very day that he 4 00:00:12,580 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: thought he was going to lose his son. And by 5 00:00:15,860 --> 00:00:18,300 Speaker 1: the end of this episode, I hope that name is 6 00:00:18,340 --> 00:00:20,660 Speaker 1: the first thing that comes to your mind when you 7 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,830 Speaker 1: look at whatever need you have right in front of you. 8 00:00:24,690 --> 00:00:28,430 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Untangling Prayer Podcast. I'm Rachel Wojo, and 9 00:00:28,450 --> 00:00:32,300 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you're here. You are here. Today we're 10 00:00:32,380 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 1: stepping into a brand new section of my book, Praying 11 00:00:36,540 --> 00:00:40,389 Speaker 1: Through Life's Battles, and we've spent time with the weary 12 00:00:40,930 --> 00:00:43,850 Speaker 1: and with the warring, and now in this section we're 13 00:00:44,110 --> 00:00:47,510 Speaker 1: in the for the winning. I love that we get 14 00:00:47,550 --> 00:00:50,350 Speaker 1: to do that the same week that we have flipped 15 00:00:50,430 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: the calendar to November, which is the month that so 16 00:00:53,700 --> 00:00:58,220 Speaker 1: many of us set aside for gratitude. And today's episode 17 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,190 Speaker 1: is about a man who worshiped before he really had 18 00:01:02,230 --> 00:01:05,369 Speaker 1: a reason to, and the God who saw his need 19 00:01:06,770 --> 00:01:09,970 Speaker 1: long before he knew he needed it. So whether you 20 00:01:10,010 --> 00:01:13,210 Speaker 1: need wisdom for a decision that you're trying to deal with, 21 00:01:13,330 --> 00:01:17,500 Speaker 1: or you need strength for a diagnosis, or whatever it 22 00:01:17,540 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: might be, if you just need enough to get through 23 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,020 Speaker 1: the end of the month, this episode is for you. 24 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: Before we dive in, I wanted you to know that 25 00:01:25,940 --> 00:01:29,500 Speaker 1: Part 3 of the Praying Through Life's Battles Bible Reading 26 00:01:29,630 --> 00:01:34,030 Speaker 1: Challenge for the winning started November 1st, and if you 27 00:01:34,069 --> 00:01:36,570 Speaker 1: haven't joined in yet, you can do that. You can 28 00:01:36,610 --> 00:01:39,670 Speaker 1: jump in anytime. I'll put the link in the show notes, 29 00:01:39,910 --> 00:01:44,289 Speaker 1: or you can find it at rachelwojo.com under Bible Reading Plans. 30 00:01:44,870 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: And now for this week's segment of Questions in Hard Spaces, 31 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:53,059 Speaker 1: where I answer the tough questions about prayer that you 32 00:01:53,100 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: guys email me or send to me via message, and 33 00:01:56,750 --> 00:02:00,890 Speaker 1: This week's question is one I've asked myself more than 34 00:02:01,010 --> 00:02:04,070 Speaker 1: one time. How do I pray when I can see 35 00:02:04,110 --> 00:02:07,030 Speaker 1: the need, but I can't see how God is going 36 00:02:07,110 --> 00:02:10,020 Speaker 1: to meet it? And if that's where you are, I 37 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: want to take you up a mountain today. In Genesis 22, 38 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: God asks Abraham to do the unthinkable. He tells him, 39 00:02:18,100 --> 00:02:22,850 Speaker 1: take Isaac, the son that he had waited for 25 40 00:02:22,850 --> 00:02:27,049 Speaker 1: years for. He said, take him and sacrifice him. So 41 00:02:27,230 --> 00:02:30,910 Speaker 1: Abraham gets up early. He saddles his donkey. He gets 42 00:02:30,990 --> 00:02:34,570 Speaker 1: the wood and they start their journey. The trip takes 43 00:02:34,650 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: three days. Isaac goes with him. And Genesis 22, 4 says, 44 00:02:38,780 --> 00:02:41,140 Speaker 1: On the third day that Abraham looked up and saw 45 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:45,420 Speaker 1: the place in the distance. Can you imagine how he 46 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: was carrying the load of this for three days? And 47 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,899 Speaker 1: some of you have been carrying loads for a long time, 48 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:56,110 Speaker 1: longer than that. When Abraham reached the mountain, The Bible 49 00:02:56,150 --> 00:02:59,090 Speaker 1: says that he laid the wood on Isaac's shoulders and 50 00:02:59,110 --> 00:03:02,750 Speaker 1: the two of them started to climb together. And on 51 00:03:02,790 --> 00:03:08,269 Speaker 1: the climb, Isaac asks the question, he said to his father, 52 00:03:08,510 --> 00:03:13,369 Speaker 1: is what the scripture says, Abraham, yes, my son, Abraham replied, 53 00:03:13,430 --> 00:03:15,860 Speaker 1: the fire and the wood are here, Isaac said, but 54 00:03:15,900 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: where is the lamb for the burnt offering? And I 55 00:03:19,340 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: think so many of us are asking this same question. 56 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: You can see maybe the test results of your diagnosis, 57 00:03:28,419 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: or you can see a deadline, or there's a problem 58 00:03:31,820 --> 00:03:34,980 Speaker 1: in your marriage. And what you can't see is how 59 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: God is going to meet you in it. Isaac could 60 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: see everything except the one thing that seemed to matter 61 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:46,110 Speaker 1: the most. And I think that's where fear is introduced 62 00:03:46,170 --> 00:03:48,690 Speaker 1: into our hearts. We can see into the details, but 63 00:03:48,730 --> 00:03:52,350 Speaker 1: we can't see the answer at all. And Abraham's reply 64 00:03:52,370 --> 00:03:57,430 Speaker 1: is one of my favorite answers. sentences. It says, God 65 00:03:57,530 --> 00:04:00,950 Speaker 1: himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. 66 00:04:00,970 --> 00:04:04,750 Speaker 1: And then it also adds, the two of them went 67 00:04:05,010 --> 00:04:08,530 Speaker 1: on together. It says after that, Abraham had no plan 68 00:04:09,030 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: for how this was going to work out. He just 69 00:04:11,060 --> 00:04:17,500 Speaker 1: kept walking. He was walking in obedience. And the Hebrew 70 00:04:17,580 --> 00:04:22,670 Speaker 1: word translated provide there is the word for see. It's 71 00:04:22,710 --> 00:04:28,300 Speaker 1: a very literal reading that God himself will see to 72 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:33,260 Speaker 1: the lamb. God's economy shows that seeing a need and 73 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: providing for it is a little different. Before Isaac ever 74 00:04:38,910 --> 00:04:42,490 Speaker 1: asked his question, God had already known the answer. He'd 75 00:04:42,529 --> 00:04:46,330 Speaker 1: already seen the answer. So when you pray, you don't 76 00:04:46,370 --> 00:04:50,220 Speaker 1: have to work to get God's attention. You already have it. 77 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:52,609 Speaker 1: Just tell him the truth about the need and then 78 00:04:52,670 --> 00:04:55,670 Speaker 1: tell him the truth about who he is. And goodness, 79 00:04:55,750 --> 00:04:58,010 Speaker 1: am I preaching to my own heart right now? If 80 00:04:58,029 --> 00:05:01,450 Speaker 1: you're afraid God won't come through this time, name your 81 00:05:01,529 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: need plainly. And then add Abraham's sentence. God, you will 82 00:05:07,620 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: see to this. You've already seen it. And I'm going 83 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:15,380 Speaker 1: to keep walking with you. Hey, thanks for tuning in 84 00:05:15,420 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: to Questions and Heart Spaces. We'll be right back after 85 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: this brief word from our sponsors. Thank you for listening 86 00:05:22,170 --> 00:05:24,250 Speaker 1: in to that word from our sponsors. And now for 87 00:05:24,290 --> 00:05:29,150 Speaker 1: this week's segment of Pray More, Worry Less Encouragement. This 88 00:05:29,450 --> 00:05:32,410 Speaker 1: is the part of the episode, the segment where we 89 00:05:32,450 --> 00:05:36,810 Speaker 1: focus on one prayer principle that will help you pray 90 00:05:36,870 --> 00:05:41,110 Speaker 1: more and worry less. And today's principle is Faith names 91 00:05:41,210 --> 00:05:45,740 Speaker 1: God as the provider before the provision arises. And so 92 00:05:45,770 --> 00:05:47,300 Speaker 1: I want to go back to the bottom of that 93 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,180 Speaker 1: mountain for a minute. Before Abraham and Isaac started to climb, 94 00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:55,900 Speaker 1: Abraham was turning to his servants who had traveled with them. 95 00:05:56,500 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: And he says, stay here with the donkey while I 96 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: and the boy go over there. We will worship and 97 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,590 Speaker 1: then we will come back. We will worship and then 98 00:06:08,650 --> 00:06:12,210 Speaker 1: we will come back. Think about that. Abraham called it 99 00:06:12,290 --> 00:06:17,630 Speaker 1: worship before there was a lamb or a ram anywhere 100 00:06:17,670 --> 00:06:21,890 Speaker 1: in sight. He planned on walking back down the mountain 101 00:06:21,940 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: with his son before he had any idea how that 102 00:06:24,570 --> 00:06:28,380 Speaker 1: would happen. And in Hebrews, it tells us Abraham to 103 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: reason that God could even raise the dead. His trust 104 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,890 Speaker 1: showed up early, long before the answer did. So at 105 00:06:35,930 --> 00:06:38,429 Speaker 1: the top of the mountain, at the very last moment, 106 00:06:39,110 --> 00:06:44,130 Speaker 1: God stops him. And Genesis 22, 13 says, Abraham looked 107 00:06:44,210 --> 00:06:47,710 Speaker 1: up and there was the ram caught by its horns. 108 00:06:47,890 --> 00:06:50,650 Speaker 1: Abraham looked up and there was the provision. It was 109 00:06:50,770 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: right there, ready for him. In Genesis 22, 14, it says, 110 00:06:55,630 --> 00:06:59,140 Speaker 1: So Abraham called that place the Lord will provide and said, 111 00:06:59,339 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 1: On the mountain of the Lord, it will be provided. 112 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:07,919 Speaker 1: In Hebrew, the Lord will provide. is Jehovah Jireh. And 113 00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:09,700 Speaker 1: that's the name that I told you about at the 114 00:07:09,750 --> 00:07:14,450 Speaker 1: beginning of this episode. Abraham gave God a name that 115 00:07:14,490 --> 00:07:17,670 Speaker 1: you won't find anywhere else in Scripture. This is the 116 00:07:17,810 --> 00:07:21,590 Speaker 1: only place in the entire Bible where it appears. He 117 00:07:21,710 --> 00:07:24,390 Speaker 1: could have named that place a lot of other things. Like, 118 00:07:24,630 --> 00:07:27,580 Speaker 1: it could have been called the worst day of his life, 119 00:07:28,140 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: but he called it after what God did. And I'm 120 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:34,950 Speaker 1: so thankful that that it says, to this day, it 121 00:07:35,330 --> 00:07:38,110 Speaker 1: is said in that verse. In other words, people kept 122 00:07:38,170 --> 00:07:43,230 Speaker 1: repeating that, that it was the place of Jehovah Jireh. 123 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: Second Chronicles 3.1 tells us that Solomon began to build 124 00:07:47,660 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah. 125 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:56,580 Speaker 1: And that place carries the name of the mountain where 126 00:07:56,670 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: God provided. It became the place where his people gathered 127 00:08:00,540 --> 00:08:04,060 Speaker 1: to worship for centuries. So what does all this have 128 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: to do with November? Most of us think of gratitude 129 00:08:08,860 --> 00:08:13,540 Speaker 1: as something that we offer after we get the results. 130 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:18,130 Speaker 1: The test results are clear, the phone call comes, and 131 00:08:18,350 --> 00:08:21,390 Speaker 1: Abraham is showing us that he worshiped while he was 132 00:08:21,430 --> 00:08:25,670 Speaker 1: still climbing. So whatever you're climbing today, whatever mountain, I 133 00:08:25,690 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 1: want to invite you into something Maybe you can call 134 00:08:28,940 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: it Name Your Mountain. Maybe you can call it a 135 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:35,220 Speaker 1: gratitude journal. Whatever you do, but get a journal or 136 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,949 Speaker 1: your notes app and start writing down the places God 137 00:08:38,990 --> 00:08:41,870 Speaker 1: has provided for you. Maybe it's a friend who showed 138 00:08:41,910 --> 00:08:46,250 Speaker 1: up at the right time or clear direction for a 139 00:08:46,290 --> 00:08:50,700 Speaker 1: decision or a need that was met that you could 140 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,300 Speaker 1: not meet on your own. Whatever it is, write it 141 00:08:54,340 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: down the way that Abraham did. And just really label 142 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:04,460 Speaker 1: that mountain. And I want to encourage you maybe to 143 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: write down one a day through November. And by the 144 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: time Thanksgiving gets here, you'll have a long list of 145 00:09:11,540 --> 00:09:14,710 Speaker 1: things that tell the truth about who God is, even 146 00:09:14,730 --> 00:09:17,610 Speaker 1: when your circumstances are trying to tell you something different. 147 00:09:18,290 --> 00:09:21,469 Speaker 1: He is your provider. And if you're facing a mountain 148 00:09:21,510 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 1: right now, put that one on the list too. Name 149 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 1: it before you see the answer and write, the Lord 150 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: will provide right next to it. That's what worship before 151 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,429 Speaker 1: provision looks like. And man, am I preaching to my 152 00:09:36,530 --> 00:09:39,470 Speaker 1: own heart this week. I'd love to pray with you, 153 00:09:39,570 --> 00:09:41,929 Speaker 1: especially if there's a need on your heart that you 154 00:09:41,970 --> 00:09:46,490 Speaker 1: just don't see a way through. God, you are Jehovah Jireh. 155 00:09:46,730 --> 00:09:50,450 Speaker 1: You saw Abraham's need before he ever reached the top 156 00:09:50,490 --> 00:09:55,150 Speaker 1: of that mountain. And you see ours today. for anyone 157 00:09:55,170 --> 00:09:57,860 Speaker 1: who's listening who can see a need so clearly but 158 00:09:58,020 --> 00:10:02,770 Speaker 1: can't see the answer. meet them right where they are. 159 00:10:04,190 --> 00:10:07,459 Speaker 1: Give the courage to worship before we see the ramp. 160 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,510 Speaker 1: Open our eyes to look and see what you've already 161 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:14,620 Speaker 1: placed inside the thicket you've already prepared for us. We 162 00:10:14,660 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: trust you with the details and the timing. Amen. For 163 00:10:19,900 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: our final segment of the podcast every week, I share 164 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: and answer a prayer story. And this week, I wanted 165 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: to remind you of a night in my kitchen when 166 00:10:31,220 --> 00:10:37,439 Speaker 1: our family was struggling and we were short on the bills. 167 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: It was a season when Matt lost his job, and 168 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: I've talked about this before. And we had clipped every 169 00:10:43,179 --> 00:10:48,620 Speaker 1: coupon and bought generic everything, and we still couldn't fill 170 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,550 Speaker 1: the gap. And I was sitting by the bills with 171 00:10:52,590 --> 00:10:56,970 Speaker 1: a calculator that showed the shortage. And no matter how 172 00:10:56,990 --> 00:10:59,910 Speaker 1: many times I added up, it was still there. The 173 00:10:59,929 --> 00:11:04,150 Speaker 1: kids were upstairs doing homework. They had no idea that 174 00:11:04,250 --> 00:11:07,309 Speaker 1: I was kind of having a bit of a panic attack. 175 00:11:08,809 --> 00:11:11,770 Speaker 1: And I whispered to God in the silence, God, you 176 00:11:11,830 --> 00:11:16,089 Speaker 1: know that we need a miracle here. And I talk 177 00:11:16,150 --> 00:11:20,350 Speaker 1: about this in the devotional, Praying Through Life's Battles. making 178 00:11:20,390 --> 00:11:23,170 Speaker 1: the choice to trust God. And that next morning, I 179 00:11:23,830 --> 00:11:26,590 Speaker 1: walked out to the mailbox still thinking about the miracle 180 00:11:26,650 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: that we needed. And I barely made it back inside 181 00:11:30,420 --> 00:11:34,939 Speaker 1: the house before I tore open an envelope and there 182 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: was a check inside for what we needed and more. 183 00:11:41,590 --> 00:11:44,890 Speaker 1: God had provided for us in such a unique way. 184 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:48,820 Speaker 1: And I just wanted to share that with you as 185 00:11:48,860 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: a reminder again. It wasn't just one time that the 186 00:11:52,590 --> 00:11:55,630 Speaker 1: Lord did this for us. And it's so easy to forget. 187 00:11:56,470 --> 00:12:01,070 Speaker 1: That night that I was walking up the mountain at 188 00:12:01,110 --> 00:12:03,730 Speaker 1: my kitchen table, I couldn't see how God was going 189 00:12:03,770 --> 00:12:08,290 Speaker 1: to provide. And I chose to trust God before I 190 00:12:09,170 --> 00:12:11,590 Speaker 1: went to the mailbox, before I went to bed, before 191 00:12:11,730 --> 00:12:13,790 Speaker 1: I knew how any of it would turn out. And 192 00:12:14,210 --> 00:12:19,810 Speaker 1: that is... you know, a one-time provision, but God's provision 193 00:12:19,830 --> 00:12:24,910 Speaker 1: doesn't always come in one way, right? Sometimes it's wisdom 194 00:12:25,090 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: that you didn't have, or strength for the next thing, or, 195 00:12:30,630 --> 00:12:33,339 Speaker 1: you know, there are just so many ways, peace even, 196 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:39,079 Speaker 1: that doesn't make sense on paper. God's methods are creative, 197 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:43,199 Speaker 1: and His faithfulness never changes, and so what He did 198 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:45,980 Speaker 1: on that mountain for Abraham, He's still doing it for 199 00:12:46,010 --> 00:12:50,620 Speaker 1: His people today. This story is from day 62 of 200 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 1: my book, Praying Through Life's Battles, 90 Days to Strengthen 201 00:12:54,740 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 1: Your Faith. And each day walks you through the enemy's tactic, 202 00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,579 Speaker 1: God's divine strategy, a prayer, and a battle cry to 203 00:13:03,660 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: carry with you. So today's battle cry is one I 204 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: want you to take with you today as well. My 205 00:13:09,940 --> 00:13:14,540 Speaker 1: God is Jehovah Jireh. He sees my needs and provides perfectly. 206 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,090 Speaker 1: I rejoice in His abundant supply that never runs dry. Hey, 207 00:13:19,130 --> 00:13:21,830 Speaker 1: you can order your copy of Praying Through Life's Battles 208 00:13:22,070 --> 00:13:26,090 Speaker 1: at battleprose.com or wherever you buy books. Thanks for joining 209 00:13:26,110 --> 00:13:31,180 Speaker 1: me on Untangling Prayer. I'm Rachel Wojo. Remember, God sees you, 210 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: He hears you, and He knows your need.