1 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,000 S1: Thanks for joining us for our first Thursday of May 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:11,600 S1: conversation here on Chris Fabry Live, which is the National 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,680 S1: Day of Prayer. And as we observe that, I wanted 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,200 S1: to have what I'm going to call a candid conversation 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,880 S1: on prayer with someone I trust. And I want to 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,240 S1: talk about why we need to pray for what should 7 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:28,560 S1: we pray? How do we come before God in prayer? 8 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,600 S1: So if you're struggling with any of those questions and others, 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,280 S1: we're going to talk about that today. Our guest has 10 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:37,319 S1: written the book on Praying the Bible. So let me 11 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,080 S1: start with a prayer of David. I've used this in 12 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,919 S1: previous years to begin the National Day of Prayer, and 13 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,440 S1: I'm going to do it again. David prays this yours, 14 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,400 S1: O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:55,520 S1: glory and the victory and the majesty. Indeed, everything that 16 00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:00,560 S1: is in the heavens and the earth. Yours is the dominion, 17 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,440 S1: O Lord, and you exalt yourself as. Head over all. 18 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,559 S1: Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule 19 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,120 S1: over all. And in your hand is power and might. 20 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,080 S1: And it lies in your hand to make great and 21 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,680 S1: to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank you 22 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:24,880 S1: and praise your glorious name. That's just a little bit 23 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,280 S1: of David's prayer from first Chronicles 29, and I want 24 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,440 S1: to hear our guest unpack that prayer a little bit today. 25 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,680 S1: And then we're off and running with author, former pastor, 26 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,040 S1: and founder and president of the center for Biblical Spirituality, 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,440 S1: doctor Don Whitney. He's standing by. First, let me thank 28 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,360 S1: our team, Ryan McConaughey, doing all things technical. Trish is 29 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:47,319 S1: our producer, but Dan Anderson is in the chair helping 30 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,240 S1: out today too. Our program is recorded. Don't call our 31 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,240 S1: on air number, but we do have an excellent resource 32 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:56,320 S1: that kind of goes right along with our topic today. 33 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,080 S1: If you haven't heard about it, it's a book by 34 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,440 S1: my audio compadre here at Moody Radio, John Gager. Anyone 35 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,960 S1: who gives a gift to Chris Fabry live at the 36 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:11,279 S1: website Chris Fabry live.org will receive powerful self-talk from the Psalms. 37 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,960 S1: It's a 40 day journey that will help you embrace 38 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,760 S1: a biblical mindset. So if you have these constant negative 39 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:22,359 S1: voices that are coming from yourself, this is the antidote. Actually, 40 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:24,800 S1: God's word is the antidote. Let me send you a 41 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,400 S1: copy as a thank you. Chris Fabry live.org. Give a 42 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:33,520 S1: gift of any size. Or you can call this number 86695. Fabry. 43 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,799 S1: Even though we're recorded, you can call that number. Someone 44 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:43,240 S1: will answer (866) 953-2279. And thank you for your support of 45 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,800 S1: the program. That allows us to have a conversation like 46 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:47,799 S1: the one that we're going to have today here on 47 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,680 S1: the National Day of Prayer with Doctor Donald Whitney. He 48 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,799 S1: has given us some room in his schedule for this discussion. 49 00:02:56,120 --> 00:02:58,480 S1: He's a friend from way back. And when you find 50 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:00,680 S1: somebody who is willing to talk with you after knowing 51 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,160 S1: you for 30 or 40 years, that's a big plus. 52 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:05,880 S1: Founder and president, as I said of the center for 53 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:11,600 S1: Biblical Spirituality at Midwestern Seminary. And he is, if I 54 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:16,080 S1: get this right. Professor of biblical spirituality and John H. Powell, 55 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:24,359 S1: professor of pastoral ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Don Whitney, 56 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,280 S1: welcome to the program or welcome back. How you doing today? 57 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,560 S2: I am way better than I deserve, Chris, and it's 58 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,880 S2: so good to hear your voice again after all these years. 59 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,280 S1: Yes, all these years. Okay, so you reached out. When 60 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,320 S1: we reached out to you, you said, hey, say hi 61 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,520 S1: to Chris and Andrea. You gave me a memory that 62 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,040 S1: you have. Tell me about, uh, one of the times 63 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,600 S1: in the 80s or 90s when we, we met. 64 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:57,000 S2: Uh, I, I can't exactly remember when we met. But 65 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:02,040 S2: I do clearly remember the last time I saw you guys. Uh, 66 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:06,640 S2: it was in your home in Bolingbrook, Illinois, which was 67 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:11,240 S2: about 15 minutes south of where we lived at the time. And, uh, 68 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,480 S2: we had my wife and I had been unable to 69 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,880 S2: have children for 16 years. And the Lord gave us 70 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,599 S2: a wonderful little girl, a great surprise. I was six 71 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,680 S2: weeks from turning 40. Uh, the Lord gave us a 72 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,039 S2: baby and bifocals the same year. And this was, uh, 73 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,840 S2: December of 93 when she was born. So it would 74 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:38,080 S2: have been early, uh, 94. And we were, uh, in 75 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:42,760 S2: your home studio being interviewed about, um, unable, being unable 76 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,360 S2: to have children for so long. And our daughter was 77 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,760 S2: actually in a baby carrier in the room while we 78 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,600 S2: were being interviewed. So I clearly remember that. So that 79 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,080 S2: was the last time she just turned 32. She gets 80 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,450 S2: her midwifery degree this year, this month, and has given 81 00:04:58,450 --> 00:05:02,210 S2: us five wonderful grandchildren. So, uh, a little bit has 82 00:05:02,210 --> 00:05:03,690 S2: happened since we saw you last. 83 00:05:03,730 --> 00:05:06,250 S1: Yes. Well, that was see, that was we had a 84 00:05:06,250 --> 00:05:09,170 S1: one one and a half car garage and we made 85 00:05:09,170 --> 00:05:12,850 S1: that into a studio that was pretty soundproof. It was, 86 00:05:12,890 --> 00:05:15,290 S1: it was a pretty, it had nice thick carpet and 87 00:05:15,290 --> 00:05:19,130 S1: all that kind of stuff. But that that memory of 88 00:05:19,130 --> 00:05:23,729 S1: having you coming over with your daughter and your wife 89 00:05:23,730 --> 00:05:26,930 S1: as well. Okay. So so was your daughter an answer 90 00:05:26,930 --> 00:05:29,810 S1: to prayer then? Had you guys been praying for her? 91 00:05:31,010 --> 00:05:36,409 S2: Well, actually, uh, I'm we probably had stopped, uh, praying 92 00:05:36,410 --> 00:05:38,610 S2: for her had been 16 years. Both of us were told, 93 00:05:38,610 --> 00:05:41,770 S2: you can never be parents. And since then, Chris, you know, 94 00:05:41,810 --> 00:05:46,370 S2: I noticed something. When the angel appears to Zechariah and says, 95 00:05:46,370 --> 00:05:49,490 S2: you're going to have John the Baptist, basically. Uh, but 96 00:05:49,490 --> 00:05:53,810 S2: the angel appears and says, the Lord has answered your prayer. 97 00:05:54,810 --> 00:05:58,810 S2: Now Zechariah and Elizabeth were. It says they were very old. 98 00:05:59,050 --> 00:06:04,770 S2: They had probably not prayed that prayer in decades. But 99 00:06:04,810 --> 00:06:08,610 S2: the Lord answered a prayer they had prayed probably decades before. 100 00:06:08,730 --> 00:06:11,169 S2: And it was kind of like that for us that, uh, 101 00:06:11,730 --> 00:06:15,850 S2: you know, we were 40 and, uh, we'd never had children. 102 00:06:15,850 --> 00:06:18,690 S2: And so it wasn't an earnest prayer. I know that 103 00:06:18,690 --> 00:06:21,330 S2: we were praying daily, but it was certainly an answer 104 00:06:21,330 --> 00:06:24,090 S2: to prayer by us and by many others. Others who 105 00:06:24,089 --> 00:06:25,489 S2: had prayed for us. Yeah. 106 00:06:26,450 --> 00:06:28,730 S1: That's really good. That was one of my questions that 107 00:06:28,730 --> 00:06:32,890 S1: I wrote down is, is it a misnomer to say, well, 108 00:06:32,890 --> 00:06:37,930 S1: I have unanswered prayer because there's only three answers yes, 109 00:06:37,930 --> 00:06:42,730 S1: no or wait. And so doesn't God answer all the 110 00:06:42,730 --> 00:06:45,770 S1: prayers that we pray? It's just when we don't get 111 00:06:45,810 --> 00:06:47,890 S1: what we want, we think it's unanswered. 112 00:06:49,330 --> 00:06:53,210 S2: Uh, yes, I think that's true. That's a historic answer. 113 00:06:53,210 --> 00:06:57,810 S2: And I think yeah, yeah that's true. Yeah. 114 00:06:58,170 --> 00:07:01,010 S1: And that's, that's the hard part of it though to 115 00:07:01,050 --> 00:07:05,290 S1: deal with that tension that is there. Okay. So let 116 00:07:05,290 --> 00:07:07,330 S1: me take a break. When we come back. I want 117 00:07:07,330 --> 00:07:11,010 S1: you to unpack David's prayer because you've written the book 118 00:07:11,010 --> 00:07:15,370 S1: on Praying the Bible. You've also written a number of books, 119 00:07:15,370 --> 00:07:19,490 S1: the bestseller Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. How can 120 00:07:19,490 --> 00:07:23,210 S1: I be sure I'm a Christian? Ten questions to Diagnose 121 00:07:23,210 --> 00:07:27,090 S1: Your Spiritual Health. And I like this one from a 122 00:07:27,130 --> 00:07:31,050 S1: long time ago. Simplify your spiritual life spiritual disciplines for 123 00:07:31,050 --> 00:07:35,210 S1: the overwhelmed. If you are struggling with prayer on this 124 00:07:35,210 --> 00:07:37,730 S1: National Day of Prayer, I want you to hear from 125 00:07:37,730 --> 00:07:41,290 S1: Doctor Whitney and will continue the conversation straight ahead here 126 00:07:41,290 --> 00:07:53,490 S1: on Moody Radio. Thanks for joining us today on this 127 00:07:53,490 --> 00:07:56,690 S1: National Day of Prayer. This is Chris Fabry live. Doctor 128 00:07:56,690 --> 00:08:01,250 S1: Don Whitney is joining us today from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 129 00:08:01,850 --> 00:08:03,690 S1: He and I have known each other for a long time, 130 00:08:03,690 --> 00:08:07,130 S1: as you just heard about, you know, 32 years ago. 131 00:08:07,170 --> 00:08:10,610 S1: His his daughter now is grown and is getting her 132 00:08:10,650 --> 00:08:15,010 S1: midwifery degree. That's just fantastic. Okay. So we're going to 133 00:08:15,010 --> 00:08:17,130 S1: talk about prayer. And I want to start in this 134 00:08:17,130 --> 00:08:21,210 S1: segment with that prayer that I began the program with. 135 00:08:21,250 --> 00:08:25,690 S1: First Chronicles 29 starts with verse 11. Yours, O Lord, 136 00:08:25,690 --> 00:08:27,810 S1: is the greatness and the power and the glory and 137 00:08:27,810 --> 00:08:31,210 S1: the victory and the majesty. What is going on in 138 00:08:31,250 --> 00:08:34,929 S1: that prelude, in that first part of that prayer from David? 139 00:08:36,130 --> 00:08:39,650 S2: Well, of course, a God centeredness, and he just piles 140 00:08:39,650 --> 00:08:44,010 S2: up all these these attributes of God. Uh, after all, Chris, 141 00:08:44,050 --> 00:08:47,650 S2: I mean, it is prayer to God. And so, uh, 142 00:08:47,650 --> 00:08:53,090 S2: when we pray the Bible like this, especially in the Psalms. 143 00:08:53,090 --> 00:08:55,490 S2: But I mean, here is a classic example of that. 144 00:08:56,170 --> 00:08:59,770 S2: Our prayers tend to be more God centered. Now, there 145 00:08:59,809 --> 00:09:03,650 S2: are many occasions in the Bible where it doesn't begin 146 00:09:03,650 --> 00:09:07,929 S2: with this great exaltation of God's attributes and so forth. Sometimes, 147 00:09:08,250 --> 00:09:13,050 S2: you know, you just cry out, uh, uh, Lord help me. 148 00:09:13,090 --> 00:09:16,290 S2: You know, it goes right to the intercessory part. And 149 00:09:16,330 --> 00:09:19,130 S2: maybe because your your heart is so broken, your heart 150 00:09:19,130 --> 00:09:22,330 S2: is like lead in your chest or your pain is 151 00:09:22,330 --> 00:09:25,370 S2: so great, or you, for whatever reason, you can't put 152 00:09:25,370 --> 00:09:29,970 S2: two thoughts together in your head and you can't compile, uh, 153 00:09:30,010 --> 00:09:32,930 S2: a list of God's attributes like this before you pray, 154 00:09:32,929 --> 00:09:36,290 S2: it just all you can utter. Uh, but this is 155 00:09:36,290 --> 00:09:39,770 S2: one of these times where is, I think generally it 156 00:09:39,770 --> 00:09:43,730 S2: should be when we pray that we begin with God 157 00:09:43,730 --> 00:09:47,490 S2: and who he is, and to be reminded of his 158 00:09:47,610 --> 00:09:51,970 S2: excellencies and his attributes. And we start with God center 159 00:09:51,970 --> 00:09:55,730 S2: on God. Before we. We come to ourselves. 160 00:09:56,970 --> 00:10:01,650 S1: So we orient ourselves to. In a sense, we're orienting 161 00:10:01,690 --> 00:10:06,330 S1: ourselves to what is true. In order to then bring 162 00:10:06,690 --> 00:10:10,690 S1: what's true about ourselves into our struggles and everything, as 163 00:10:10,690 --> 00:10:14,890 S1: well as our praise to him. So it's, it's, it's 164 00:10:14,890 --> 00:10:19,250 S1: centered on, on him and on truth so that we 165 00:10:19,290 --> 00:10:23,490 S1: can be changed so that not that we can get 166 00:10:23,530 --> 00:10:26,330 S1: what we want. Because I've heard people talk about prayer. 167 00:10:26,370 --> 00:10:28,010 S1: You know, if you don't get what you want, then 168 00:10:28,050 --> 00:10:31,210 S1: your prayer is no good. It's prayer is not really 169 00:10:31,210 --> 00:10:35,250 S1: about getting what we want. It's, it's getting what we 170 00:10:35,250 --> 00:10:37,890 S1: need most to talk about that. 171 00:10:38,490 --> 00:10:40,690 S2: It is what you just said, and it is to 172 00:10:40,730 --> 00:10:46,050 S2: bring ourselves into agreement with God and who he is 173 00:10:46,090 --> 00:10:50,450 S2: and what his purpose is, are. And I think we're 174 00:10:50,450 --> 00:10:53,730 S2: all in constant need of that reminder, because when we 175 00:10:53,730 --> 00:10:59,010 S2: feel a need to pray for something, uh, that's generally 176 00:10:59,010 --> 00:11:02,809 S2: foremost on our minds. And, uh, when we come to God, 177 00:11:02,809 --> 00:11:06,890 S2: we start right there with, with what we, uh, need 178 00:11:06,929 --> 00:11:10,929 S2: or what we, uh, what we want. And so praying 179 00:11:10,929 --> 00:11:14,770 S2: the Bible like, uh, if we pray this passage ourselves, 180 00:11:14,809 --> 00:11:17,530 S2: we begin in the right place. We begin with who 181 00:11:17,530 --> 00:11:22,490 S2: God is, what his attributes are. And we're reminded of 182 00:11:22,530 --> 00:11:26,970 S2: that putting him first rather than, uh, this, this great 183 00:11:26,970 --> 00:11:32,729 S2: prayer that David continues to pray after that. So, um, yeah, 184 00:11:33,010 --> 00:11:36,050 S2: back to just the, the orientation of praying the Word 185 00:11:36,050 --> 00:11:41,970 S2: of God. It teaches us by example, uh, to keep 186 00:11:41,970 --> 00:11:45,570 S2: us from being so selfish in our prayers. We We 187 00:11:45,570 --> 00:11:48,490 S2: don't want to be selfish. We don't want to be, uh, 188 00:11:48,890 --> 00:11:52,450 S2: greed focused and put God in the secondary place. Or 189 00:11:52,450 --> 00:11:56,650 S2: to use God as a means merely to what we want. Uh, 190 00:11:56,690 --> 00:11:59,810 S2: this reminds us that that God is eternal. Our lives 191 00:11:59,809 --> 00:12:02,010 S2: are going to pass. The great thing we're feeling a 192 00:12:02,010 --> 00:12:04,530 S2: burden or desire for right now will someday pass. But 193 00:12:04,530 --> 00:12:07,970 S2: God is eternal. We start with him. We start with 194 00:12:07,970 --> 00:12:11,730 S2: his attributes, which also, by the way, Chris reminds us 195 00:12:11,970 --> 00:12:17,290 S2: that he can do what we're asking if we're praying for, uh, 196 00:12:18,050 --> 00:12:22,569 S2: the Lord's provision for something, and we go to his 197 00:12:22,730 --> 00:12:28,650 S2: name as Jehovah Jireh. We are reminded um, of he 198 00:12:28,650 --> 00:12:30,650 S2: is the provider. If he, we come to him as 199 00:12:30,650 --> 00:12:33,530 S2: a great physician that reminds us that we're not just 200 00:12:33,570 --> 00:12:37,290 S2: pleading and begging for God to do something to heal us. He, 201 00:12:37,330 --> 00:12:40,210 S2: he is the Great Physician. He is the healer. He 202 00:12:40,210 --> 00:12:42,730 S2: has the power. So in the passage we're looking at 203 00:12:42,730 --> 00:12:48,530 S2: here in first Chronicles 2911 and following. Um. Yours, O Lord, 204 00:12:48,530 --> 00:12:51,810 S2: is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, the majesty. Uh. 205 00:12:52,290 --> 00:12:55,130 S2: The kingdom. You're exalted above all riches and honor. And 206 00:12:55,130 --> 00:12:57,809 S2: all this come from you power and might. So this 207 00:12:57,850 --> 00:13:01,209 S2: we realize, okay, what I'm about to ask God can 208 00:13:01,250 --> 00:13:03,850 S2: do because all these attributes are true. 209 00:13:04,330 --> 00:13:08,530 S1: Yes. And and there's in just the verses that we've 210 00:13:08,530 --> 00:13:14,770 S1: read thus far, there is this sovereign, the sovereignty of God. God, 211 00:13:14,770 --> 00:13:19,090 S1: you you have a plan. You can do what you want. 212 00:13:19,450 --> 00:13:21,689 S1: And we want to be a part of that. You know, 213 00:13:21,730 --> 00:13:26,290 S1: just coming to him shows our desire to be part 214 00:13:26,290 --> 00:13:31,090 S1: of what he is doing in the world, especially when 215 00:13:31,090 --> 00:13:34,690 S1: we don't understand what he is doing in the world. Right? 216 00:13:35,530 --> 00:13:38,850 S2: That's absolutely right. Yeah. So again, it's it brings us 217 00:13:38,850 --> 00:13:42,850 S2: back to the foundation. It keeps us rooted in, in 218 00:13:42,929 --> 00:13:47,730 S2: God and in his attributes and in His Word. And 219 00:13:47,730 --> 00:13:52,170 S2: rather than making us just a selfish little machine that's always, uh, 220 00:13:52,210 --> 00:13:54,890 S2: trying to get something from God and use God. 221 00:13:55,730 --> 00:14:00,809 S1: I've often wondered about Joseph and what his prayers were 222 00:14:00,809 --> 00:14:03,730 S1: like when he was falsely accused. Well, when he was 223 00:14:03,730 --> 00:14:05,850 S1: thrown in the pit by his brothers, you know, and 224 00:14:05,850 --> 00:14:08,770 S1: then sold. And then he goes, he goes to Potiphar. 225 00:14:08,809 --> 00:14:12,050 S1: It just it seems like, you know, you look at 226 00:14:12,050 --> 00:14:15,610 S1: the end and everything made sense up to, you know, 227 00:14:15,610 --> 00:14:18,410 S1: that it happened to him. Uh, and what were his 228 00:14:18,410 --> 00:14:21,930 S1: prayers when he was in, in prison and falsely accused 229 00:14:21,930 --> 00:14:24,770 S1: and all that? But a lot of times we don't 230 00:14:24,770 --> 00:14:29,690 S1: get that, um, understanding of, well, here's why this happened, 231 00:14:29,690 --> 00:14:33,410 S1: here's why this happened, here's why that happened. And, and 232 00:14:33,530 --> 00:14:39,290 S1: figuring out God becomes what we try to do that we, 233 00:14:39,330 --> 00:14:41,530 S1: we feel like if I can figure out what God 234 00:14:41,530 --> 00:14:44,380 S1: is doing and make sense of it myself. Then I 235 00:14:44,380 --> 00:14:48,740 S1: can believe. Then I can trust. But that that. And 236 00:14:48,740 --> 00:14:52,300 S1: sometimes it does happen. But by and large, we have 237 00:14:52,300 --> 00:14:55,380 S1: to trust him, no matter whether we understand or not. 238 00:14:55,420 --> 00:14:56,140 S1: I think. 239 00:14:57,380 --> 00:15:03,980 S2: You're right. And. This is where I find myself right now, 240 00:15:03,980 --> 00:15:12,940 S2: and in. A very, very real sense. Uh. And it's 241 00:15:13,180 --> 00:15:16,820 S2: a growth in faith. We don't know why God is 242 00:15:16,820 --> 00:15:21,540 S2: doing something, but we're to trust anyway. And this is 243 00:15:21,540 --> 00:15:26,620 S2: the story of job, right? We we believe when we 244 00:15:26,660 --> 00:15:30,380 S2: we God never did explain things to job. And yet 245 00:15:30,380 --> 00:15:33,900 S2: he continued to trust. Now, often we, you know, present 246 00:15:33,900 --> 00:15:36,580 S2: him as the perfect example. Here, though he slay me, 247 00:15:36,580 --> 00:15:39,140 S2: yet I will trust in him. Well, that was job's 248 00:15:39,140 --> 00:15:41,980 S2: finest hour. Uh, There were many times later on in 249 00:15:41,980 --> 00:15:46,380 S2: the book. He's not trusting very well, but he is 250 00:15:46,380 --> 00:15:52,380 S2: a fallen example. The example in the Bible of of faith. Um, 251 00:15:52,420 --> 00:15:56,300 S2: except for Jesus, of course. But Job Abraham, they're the 252 00:15:56,300 --> 00:16:00,780 S2: examples of. Lord, I trust you when this makes no sense. 253 00:16:01,220 --> 00:16:04,460 S2: I trust you when I don't see the reason. And, 254 00:16:04,860 --> 00:16:07,460 S2: you know, the reality of life is there are many 255 00:16:07,460 --> 00:16:12,260 S2: times we do not see the reason. And as Paul says, 256 00:16:12,260 --> 00:16:14,780 S2: it's not. If we already see the reason, it's not 257 00:16:14,780 --> 00:16:18,020 S2: really faith then, is it? It's we. We fail. We 258 00:16:18,060 --> 00:16:21,260 S2: believe God when we continue to believe, we trust him. 259 00:16:21,260 --> 00:16:26,060 S2: We see no reason, we see no explanation. And that 260 00:16:26,060 --> 00:16:31,220 S2: that is the essence of faith. And, um, well, I mean, 261 00:16:31,260 --> 00:16:33,220 S2: that's at the root of the Christian life, isn't it? 262 00:16:33,220 --> 00:16:34,060 S3: Yes it is. 263 00:16:34,460 --> 00:16:38,500 S1: Well, and what you're talking about is submission, this open 264 00:16:38,540 --> 00:16:44,180 S1: handedness When you come to God in prayer, God, you're 265 00:16:44,220 --> 00:16:46,860 S1: the one. You know more than I do. But I 266 00:16:46,860 --> 00:16:49,860 S1: often come to God trying to figure out, you know, 267 00:16:49,900 --> 00:16:53,700 S1: and and maybe that's manipulation on, on my part, you know, 268 00:16:53,740 --> 00:16:55,820 S1: if this would happen and if this would happen, then 269 00:16:55,820 --> 00:16:58,500 S1: this could happen. And don't you see what a great 270 00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:05,060 S1: plan I have for, you know. Um, but submission, it's Gethsemane. It's, 271 00:17:05,340 --> 00:17:09,020 S1: you know, take this cup away, but not my will, 272 00:17:09,060 --> 00:17:12,899 S1: but yours be done, which is the, you know, that 273 00:17:12,900 --> 00:17:15,219 S1: that's where we are in the valley of the shadow 274 00:17:15,260 --> 00:17:17,300 S1: and a lot. Now, let me stop right here because 275 00:17:17,300 --> 00:17:19,780 S1: you just mentioned something, doctor Don Whitney is with us. 276 00:17:19,780 --> 00:17:22,420 S1: This is the National Day of Prayer. We're talking about prayer. 277 00:17:22,900 --> 00:17:24,860 S1: The good things are going to happen here. But you 278 00:17:24,859 --> 00:17:27,460 S1: just said, I'm in the middle of this, and I've 279 00:17:27,460 --> 00:17:29,899 S1: known you a long enough to know that if you 280 00:17:29,900 --> 00:17:31,660 S1: don't want to tell me this, you'll tell me to 281 00:17:31,660 --> 00:17:34,780 S1: move on. Chris. But is there something is it like 282 00:17:34,780 --> 00:17:38,140 S1: a health concern? Is it a relational thing? What's what's 283 00:17:38,140 --> 00:17:38,820 S1: going on? 284 00:17:39,540 --> 00:17:43,660 S2: Yeah, well thank you. It is it is something, uh, 285 00:17:43,780 --> 00:17:46,660 S2: you know, very personal that I don't want to bring 286 00:17:46,660 --> 00:17:53,100 S2: up on certainly, uh, nationwide radio. But, um, yeah, it is, 287 00:17:54,140 --> 00:18:00,139 S2: it is a, um, a difficult time. And we all 288 00:18:00,140 --> 00:18:08,060 S2: grew up through, uh, such things and, um, you know, it's, uh, 289 00:18:08,540 --> 00:18:11,420 S2: true for, for everyone you live as long as we have. 290 00:18:11,460 --> 00:18:15,340 S2: I mean, I'm 72 now and, uh, you live long enough, you, 291 00:18:15,619 --> 00:18:18,700 S2: you know, a lot of very difficult things happen. But 292 00:18:18,700 --> 00:18:22,860 S2: one of the things that the Lord is strengthened me 293 00:18:22,859 --> 00:18:28,939 S2: with is, uh, and this is a bit difficult to follow, 294 00:18:28,940 --> 00:18:32,540 S2: so I'll put put people on notice with that. But, um, 295 00:18:33,740 --> 00:18:43,500 S2: that the, the Faith is the. Answers. The proof of faith. 296 00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:45,619 S2: Let me put it that way the proof of faith 297 00:18:45,900 --> 00:18:49,780 S2: is not always in what we'll call success. In other words, 298 00:18:49,780 --> 00:18:53,660 S2: answers to prayer. Things working out the way you want. 299 00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:57,700 S2: The proof of faith is often found in perseverance when 300 00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:02,180 S2: there is no success. In other words, it's easy to 301 00:19:02,180 --> 00:19:07,420 S2: trust God when you get clear answers. It's not so 302 00:19:07,420 --> 00:19:11,740 S2: easy to persevere when you don't get answers. And yet, 303 00:19:11,740 --> 00:19:16,340 S2: and here's where this gets a bit complex. Um, perseverance 304 00:19:16,380 --> 00:19:21,300 S2: is necessary for salvation. I mean, it's not that we 305 00:19:21,300 --> 00:19:23,660 S2: earn it, but in other words, the path of salvation 306 00:19:23,780 --> 00:19:27,580 S2: is often proven by perseverance. Uh, those who endure to 307 00:19:27,580 --> 00:19:32,420 S2: the end will be saved. Is a passage like this that, that, uh, 308 00:19:32,619 --> 00:19:34,980 S2: anyone can believe when things are being answered. But there 309 00:19:34,980 --> 00:19:43,620 S2: are those who who fall away and perseverance is is 310 00:19:43,940 --> 00:19:46,379 S2: just essential for the Christian life. But how do you 311 00:19:46,380 --> 00:19:50,700 S2: get perseverance, Chris? You. Perseverance is when you stay faithful, 312 00:19:50,700 --> 00:19:54,859 S2: when it's hard to stay faithful, right? And what are 313 00:19:54,859 --> 00:20:00,100 S2: you doing when it's hard? You're praying things won't be 314 00:20:00,100 --> 00:20:03,939 S2: so hard, right? Lord, take this away, Lord. Change this. 315 00:20:04,140 --> 00:20:06,260 S2: That's what you're doing. When things are hard, you're praying 316 00:20:06,260 --> 00:20:11,220 S2: God will change it. Perseverance is staying faithful when he doesn't. 317 00:20:11,500 --> 00:20:15,540 S2: That's the only way to get perseverance is you stay 318 00:20:15,540 --> 00:20:20,460 S2: faithful when it's hard, when your prayer isn't being answered. 319 00:20:20,780 --> 00:20:25,700 S2: Anybody can believe when their prayers are clearly and quickly answered. 320 00:20:25,700 --> 00:20:28,620 S2: But the real believer is one who stays faithful when 321 00:20:28,619 --> 00:20:30,540 S2: their prayers aren't answered. And we could not only go 322 00:20:30,540 --> 00:20:33,340 S2: to people like Joe, but think of someone like Johnny Erickson, 323 00:20:33,340 --> 00:20:38,060 S2: Tada and others we could mention whose faithfulness is proven 324 00:20:38,340 --> 00:20:41,820 S2: not by their answers to prayer, but by their perseverance. 325 00:20:42,020 --> 00:20:45,139 S2: When their prayers aren't answered the way they want. 326 00:20:45,180 --> 00:20:45,740 S3: Bingo. 327 00:20:45,780 --> 00:20:48,940 S1: Well, think of Paul. You know, I had this thorn 328 00:20:48,940 --> 00:20:54,060 S1: in the flesh and. Yeah. Put yourself in his situation. 329 00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:58,300 S1: He he's had this success in going out and going 330 00:20:58,340 --> 00:21:01,580 S1: to different places and speaking at the Arapahos and doing 331 00:21:01,580 --> 00:21:04,420 S1: all these things. And here he is chained to somebody else. 332 00:21:04,460 --> 00:21:06,940 S1: You know, he's in prison. What what can God what 333 00:21:06,940 --> 00:21:09,740 S1: are you thinking? God. And we can see it from 334 00:21:09,740 --> 00:21:13,060 S1: our vantage point all the way back. It's like, thank 335 00:21:13,060 --> 00:21:15,940 S1: God that he was there so he could write these letters. 336 00:21:15,940 --> 00:21:19,899 S1: But in the middle of that, he had to persevere, 337 00:21:19,940 --> 00:21:20,460 S1: didn't he? 338 00:21:21,340 --> 00:21:24,820 S2: He did. And we could almost put it this way. 339 00:21:25,140 --> 00:21:29,740 S2: There is perseverance is necessary for heaven. I mean, it's 340 00:21:29,740 --> 00:21:33,899 S2: not it's not saving faith, but it is an evidence 341 00:21:33,900 --> 00:21:37,060 S2: of saving faith. And you are not going to go 342 00:21:37,060 --> 00:21:40,980 S2: to heaven without perseverance. Well, how do you get perseverance then? 343 00:21:41,300 --> 00:21:44,860 S2: The only way is you stay faithful when your prayers 344 00:21:44,900 --> 00:21:48,659 S2: don't seem to be answered, when you don't get a reason, 345 00:21:48,660 --> 00:21:53,260 S2: that's a true Christian. Um, and so yeah, just we 346 00:21:53,260 --> 00:21:55,220 S2: see that in Paul. So many of the great characters. 347 00:21:55,220 --> 00:21:58,020 S2: You mentioned Joseph a little while ago. We see it 348 00:21:58,020 --> 00:22:01,060 S2: from the, from the end. We know what's happening. But 349 00:22:01,060 --> 00:22:05,900 S2: Joe didn't see that arc ever. Joseph didn't see it for, 350 00:22:05,940 --> 00:22:11,540 S2: you know, for a while. And, um, um, faith is 351 00:22:11,540 --> 00:22:15,300 S2: believing that is true there. God is at work. He 352 00:22:15,300 --> 00:22:17,740 S2: is behind the scenes. There is a reason, even though 353 00:22:17,740 --> 00:22:20,859 S2: we never may see it. And we find him worth 354 00:22:20,859 --> 00:22:23,980 S2: pursuing even when we don't get what we want. 355 00:22:24,660 --> 00:22:29,660 S1: That's going to speak to somebody who's listening today, who 356 00:22:29,660 --> 00:22:32,739 S1: is struggling to persevere. And you mentioned a little bit 357 00:22:32,740 --> 00:22:37,060 S1: ago you had this phrase, the feel a need to pray. 358 00:22:37,300 --> 00:22:41,420 S1: I think even that is, is something that when we 359 00:22:41,420 --> 00:22:44,620 S1: feel a need to pray, that that is God quickening us, 360 00:22:44,619 --> 00:22:48,140 S1: it's not just us doing it, it's him knocking on 361 00:22:48,140 --> 00:22:51,300 S1: the door of our heart and wooing us to himself. 362 00:22:51,340 --> 00:22:52,380 S1: Do you agree with that? 363 00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:57,220 S2: Yeah, the spirit prompts us to pray. And, uh, uh, I, 364 00:22:57,220 --> 00:22:59,260 S2: I do agree with that, that it is the Lord 365 00:22:59,260 --> 00:23:01,580 S2: prompting us to pray, in part because he wants to 366 00:23:01,580 --> 00:23:05,420 S2: answer that prayer, but also because he wants us to 367 00:23:05,420 --> 00:23:10,540 S2: feel our dependency upon him. He wants us to, uh, to, 368 00:23:10,580 --> 00:23:14,220 S2: to seek him more than the answer that he is 369 00:23:14,220 --> 00:23:18,419 S2: worth having, even when he doesn't give us what we want. 370 00:23:18,460 --> 00:23:21,500 S2: That even when he's so if we may say, even 371 00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:26,379 S2: when God disappoints us, we would rather have him than 372 00:23:27,540 --> 00:23:29,540 S2: to have what we want and not have him. 373 00:23:29,670 --> 00:23:30,390 S3: Yes. 374 00:23:30,750 --> 00:23:36,550 S1: Because it's in that crucible that real change happens in 375 00:23:36,590 --> 00:23:40,270 S1: my life. I've you know, when things are going well, 376 00:23:40,430 --> 00:23:42,430 S1: you know, I don't I don't change very much. I 377 00:23:42,430 --> 00:23:46,470 S1: just am content with what I have or not. But 378 00:23:46,470 --> 00:23:50,909 S1: when things are going bad, it's like I realize how 379 00:23:50,950 --> 00:23:55,470 S1: dependent I am on him and his work in my 380 00:23:55,470 --> 00:23:58,750 S1: life to to conform me to the image of his son. 381 00:23:58,750 --> 00:24:03,030 S1: So it's that it's that valley that he uses and 382 00:24:03,070 --> 00:24:06,190 S1: it sounds like he's using in your life to, to 383 00:24:06,230 --> 00:24:09,510 S1: drag you kicking and screaming toward his own heart. 384 00:24:11,710 --> 00:24:17,670 S2: Yeah. And heart, yeah. Is another way of putting, you know, 385 00:24:17,710 --> 00:24:23,030 S2: relationship and deepening that relationship. And I, he's putting me 386 00:24:23,070 --> 00:24:25,190 S2: through a time as he has before. And he has, 387 00:24:25,190 --> 00:24:31,830 S2: I believe all believers where we we find him worthy 388 00:24:31,830 --> 00:24:35,310 S2: of pursuing. When he doesn't give us what we want. 389 00:24:35,350 --> 00:24:38,710 S2: That doesn't make sense to the world. The world understands 390 00:24:38,710 --> 00:24:43,230 S2: why you follow Christ, why you believe, why you pray. 391 00:24:43,230 --> 00:24:46,110 S2: When your prayers are answered. They get that they may 392 00:24:46,109 --> 00:24:50,070 S2: still not believe themselves, but they. They see, hey, you prayed. 393 00:24:50,070 --> 00:24:53,270 S2: You got this dramatic answer. Well, no wonder you're. You're 394 00:24:53,430 --> 00:24:56,630 S2: a believer. What the world doesn't get, what doesn't make 395 00:24:56,630 --> 00:24:59,710 S2: sense to the world is when he doesn't answer. And 396 00:24:59,710 --> 00:25:03,429 S2: you stay faithful. That commands attention. 397 00:25:03,910 --> 00:25:08,270 S1: It commands attention because it is so countercultural. In our day, 398 00:25:08,830 --> 00:25:11,869 S1: Doctor Donald Whitney is joining us on Chris Fabry Live. 399 00:25:11,910 --> 00:25:14,750 S1: This is the National Day of Prayer. And we're having 400 00:25:14,750 --> 00:25:19,310 S1: an honest, hopefully contagious conversation about that topic. Doctor Whitney 401 00:25:19,350 --> 00:25:22,750 S1: serves as professor of biblical spirituality and the John H. 402 00:25:22,790 --> 00:25:28,190 S1: Powell Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 403 00:25:28,190 --> 00:25:32,070 S1: founder and director of the center for Biblical Spirituality, author 404 00:25:32,070 --> 00:25:35,629 S1: of such books as Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. 405 00:25:35,830 --> 00:25:39,670 S1: How can I be Sure I'm a Christian? Ten Questions 406 00:25:39,670 --> 00:25:44,389 S1: to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health and Praying the Bible. Coming up, 407 00:25:44,390 --> 00:25:47,550 S1: you're going to find out exactly how to do that. 408 00:25:47,750 --> 00:25:50,830 S1: Go to Chris Fabry live.org and you can find out 409 00:25:50,830 --> 00:25:56,790 S1: more Chris Fabry live.org. More straight ahead on Moody Radio. 410 00:26:06,230 --> 00:26:07,150 S4: This is Chris Fabry. 411 00:26:07,150 --> 00:26:09,350 S1: Live on Moody Radio. Thanks a lot for joining us 412 00:26:09,350 --> 00:26:12,950 S1: here today on the National Day of Prayer. I've asked 413 00:26:12,950 --> 00:26:16,430 S1: doctor Don Whitney to join us, who is a prolific author. 414 00:26:16,430 --> 00:26:18,350 S1: I've mentioned some of the books. You can find out 415 00:26:18,350 --> 00:26:22,990 S1: more at Chris Fabry live.org. Especially praying the Bible, uh, 416 00:26:22,990 --> 00:26:27,030 S1: or spiritual disciplines for the Christian life, of which prayer 417 00:26:27,030 --> 00:26:31,270 S1: is one. But I wanted to just have a candid conversation. 418 00:26:31,270 --> 00:26:35,629 S1: He mentioned his age, his, his, his vintage age here. 419 00:26:35,630 --> 00:26:38,109 S1: And we do this thing called Voices of Wisdom Dawn 420 00:26:38,150 --> 00:26:40,950 S1: on the program, where I find people who are down 421 00:26:40,950 --> 00:26:42,950 S1: the trail just a little bit further than me, and 422 00:26:42,950 --> 00:26:46,150 S1: I just give them questions. So let's, let's talk about 423 00:26:46,150 --> 00:26:49,870 S1: the prayer thing and struggling with prayer. Has prayer always. 424 00:26:49,910 --> 00:26:53,790 S1: Have you always been a quote unquote success with prayer? 425 00:26:56,070 --> 00:26:59,030 S2: Well, I can hardly imagine a definition of that to 426 00:26:59,070 --> 00:27:03,590 S2: which I would say yes. Uh, and frankly, I, I 427 00:27:04,350 --> 00:27:06,950 S2: would say every Christian would say kind of the same 428 00:27:06,950 --> 00:27:10,149 S2: thing or all my prayers answered. No. Uh, do I 429 00:27:10,510 --> 00:27:16,870 S2: always understand why they're not answered most of the time? No. But, um, 430 00:27:17,630 --> 00:27:20,990 S2: you know, the Holy Spirit turns us into praying people. 431 00:27:21,030 --> 00:27:24,310 S2: I mean, that's part of being born again. Uh, we, we, 432 00:27:24,390 --> 00:27:26,790 S2: the Holy Spirit causes us, right? I mean, we don't 433 00:27:26,790 --> 00:27:30,229 S2: merely choose this. Romans and Galatians tell us the spirit 434 00:27:30,230 --> 00:27:34,910 S2: causes us to cry out, ABBA, father! So this just 435 00:27:34,910 --> 00:27:39,030 S2: organically connected with with believing the gospel. The Holy Spirit 436 00:27:39,070 --> 00:27:44,629 S2: turns us into praying people. And I, I don't know 437 00:27:44,630 --> 00:27:48,950 S2: of anyone who'd say I am a success, uh, in 438 00:27:48,950 --> 00:27:52,950 S2: prayer in that regard, except that it, it is how 439 00:27:52,950 --> 00:27:57,350 S2: I talk with my father. And that's certainly invaluable. So 440 00:27:58,270 --> 00:28:01,350 S2: back to the definition of success in prayer, right? Yes. 441 00:28:01,390 --> 00:28:04,189 S3: Yes, exactly. So, so so if I'm. 442 00:28:04,190 --> 00:28:08,830 S1: Struggling in prayer and I've, uh, take this distractions, I 443 00:28:08,830 --> 00:28:13,550 S1: used to beat myself up for praying and getting distracted 444 00:28:13,550 --> 00:28:16,750 S1: and remembering things in the middle of prayer and then thinking, 445 00:28:16,790 --> 00:28:20,110 S1: you know, doing the self-talk thing, you dummy, you can't, 446 00:28:20,230 --> 00:28:23,350 S1: you can't even spend five minutes here and just concentrate on, 447 00:28:23,350 --> 00:28:27,270 S1: on God. And I've stopped doing that. And I want 448 00:28:27,310 --> 00:28:29,750 S1: to hear your take on this. I've stopped doing that 449 00:28:29,750 --> 00:28:34,109 S1: because I see these little distractions and these little mental, uh, 450 00:28:34,510 --> 00:28:38,710 S1: you know, jogs, rabbit trails as something that God has 451 00:28:38,750 --> 00:28:41,670 S1: at least allowed for me to think of. And so 452 00:28:41,710 --> 00:28:45,190 S1: I'll keep a, just a little card note card next 453 00:28:45,190 --> 00:28:47,270 S1: and I'll jot it down. Oh, yeah, I remember I 454 00:28:47,310 --> 00:28:50,229 S1: got a doctor's appointment today or got to take the 455 00:28:50,230 --> 00:28:51,990 S1: trash out or take the dog for a walk or 456 00:28:51,990 --> 00:28:55,350 S1: whatever it is, these, these little things, I just jot 457 00:28:55,390 --> 00:28:58,470 S1: it down and say, thank you, God for, for reminding 458 00:28:58,470 --> 00:29:00,989 S1: me of that. And now let's get back to the, 459 00:29:01,030 --> 00:29:04,350 S1: you know, regularly scheduled prayer. Uh, what do you think 460 00:29:04,350 --> 00:29:05,630 S1: of those distractions? 461 00:29:06,670 --> 00:29:11,230 S2: Well, that's a broad subject. And by that, I mean, 462 00:29:11,230 --> 00:29:15,870 S2: what you just described, I think, is a very valid 463 00:29:15,870 --> 00:29:20,510 S2: way of addressing these things. And sometimes that's what I 464 00:29:20,510 --> 00:29:22,310 S2: do as well. I'll just pause and make sure I 465 00:29:22,310 --> 00:29:29,110 S2: have a note. But I think farther on the spectrum 466 00:29:29,390 --> 00:29:32,990 S2: when I say distractions in prayer are a more broad 467 00:29:32,990 --> 00:29:39,070 S2: subject than we may think. Most commonly, I believe the 468 00:29:39,070 --> 00:29:43,350 S2: distractions come because we tend to say the same old 469 00:29:43,350 --> 00:29:47,910 S2: things about the same old things. When we pray, we 470 00:29:47,910 --> 00:29:54,990 S2: have a. Unintentionally, we have a memorized prayer and we 471 00:29:55,030 --> 00:29:59,070 S2: say it, uh, virtually every day. And we've said the 472 00:29:59,070 --> 00:30:01,770 S2: same old things about the same old things about a 473 00:30:01,770 --> 00:30:08,790 S2: thousand times. Frankly, it becomes boring and mindless for most people. 474 00:30:08,790 --> 00:30:12,270 S2: And so you can go those several minutes, like you said, 475 00:30:12,470 --> 00:30:14,710 S2: and suddenly come to yourself and say, wait a minute, 476 00:30:14,710 --> 00:30:17,469 S2: I haven't been thinking about God for the last several minutes. 477 00:30:17,470 --> 00:30:20,709 S2: I've been thinking about the doctor's appointment. Which reminds me, 478 00:30:20,710 --> 00:30:23,230 S2: I've got to gotta make this stop along the way. 479 00:30:23,230 --> 00:30:25,870 S2: Which reminds me to have enough gas in the car. 480 00:30:25,990 --> 00:30:29,830 S2: And it's not just one momentary interruption. It turns into, uh, 481 00:30:30,110 --> 00:30:33,590 S2: several minutes. You haven't been thinking about God. And I 482 00:30:33,630 --> 00:30:37,550 S2: think that's extremely common. And I think it's because our 483 00:30:37,550 --> 00:30:40,190 S2: tendency is to say the same old things about the 484 00:30:40,190 --> 00:30:42,950 S2: same old things. Now, praying about the same old things 485 00:30:42,950 --> 00:30:47,190 S2: is not the problem, because our lives tend to consist 486 00:30:47,190 --> 00:30:50,950 S2: pretty much of the same old things, right? Our family, 487 00:30:51,110 --> 00:30:56,630 S2: our future, our finances, our work, our school work, whatever 488 00:30:56,630 --> 00:31:00,030 S2: you do during most of your waking hours, um, our, 489 00:31:00,070 --> 00:31:03,870 S2: our church or ministry or some Christian concern and, and 490 00:31:03,870 --> 00:31:07,710 S2: the current crisis in our lives. Okay. Those six things 491 00:31:07,710 --> 00:31:09,990 S2: are pretty much there's, I can't think of anything that 492 00:31:09,990 --> 00:31:16,950 S2: doesn't fit into one of those categories family, future finances, work, um, 493 00:31:17,590 --> 00:31:22,510 S2: ministry and the current crisis. And so praying about those 494 00:31:22,510 --> 00:31:24,950 S2: things every day is not a problem. That's normal. The 495 00:31:24,950 --> 00:31:27,990 S2: problem is we tend to say the same old things 496 00:31:27,990 --> 00:31:31,910 S2: about the same old things, and that's tends to be boring. 497 00:31:31,950 --> 00:31:35,310 S2: And when prayer is boring, we don't feel like praying. 498 00:31:35,350 --> 00:31:37,390 S2: We know in advance, hey, I'm about to do something 499 00:31:37,390 --> 00:31:39,430 S2: here and I know it's going to be boring. We're 500 00:31:39,430 --> 00:31:41,990 S2: not motivated to do it if we don't feel like praying. Chris, 501 00:31:42,030 --> 00:31:45,310 S2: we tend not to pray. And I think there's a simple, 502 00:31:45,950 --> 00:31:50,870 S2: permanent biblical solution to that. And that is when you pray, 503 00:31:51,190 --> 00:31:54,230 S2: pray the Bible. So that's the foundation for my little 504 00:31:54,230 --> 00:31:56,310 S2: book on praying the Bible. And more and more, I 505 00:31:56,310 --> 00:31:58,790 S2: think the main reason God put me on the planet, 506 00:31:59,470 --> 00:32:02,750 S2: at least in terms of ministry, uh, is to teach 507 00:32:02,750 --> 00:32:04,030 S2: people how to pray the Bible. 508 00:32:05,110 --> 00:32:08,950 S1: I love it, and we're going to link it. Chris fabriclive.org. 509 00:32:08,990 --> 00:32:11,110 S1: Make sure you go there because that could be a 510 00:32:11,110 --> 00:32:15,430 S1: game changer for you, a life changer, prayer changer, soul changer. 511 00:32:15,710 --> 00:32:20,190 S1: But isn't part of the problem really at bedrock that 512 00:32:20,190 --> 00:32:24,790 S1: we don't believe there is any power in prayer, that 513 00:32:24,790 --> 00:32:29,870 S1: my prayers mean anything because I can't change God's mind. 514 00:32:29,910 --> 00:32:32,910 S1: You know, I can't put his arm around behind him 515 00:32:32,910 --> 00:32:36,910 S1: and make him say uncle. Uh, and and because that's 516 00:32:36,910 --> 00:32:41,990 S1: how we define success is getting God to do what 517 00:32:41,990 --> 00:32:44,510 S1: we want. We're back to third base again, aren't we? 518 00:32:45,590 --> 00:32:50,030 S2: Yeah. As it's often classically put, if God is sovereign, 519 00:32:50,030 --> 00:32:55,070 S2: why pray? Uh, if God is all knowing, uh, why pray? 520 00:32:55,070 --> 00:32:57,830 S2: I don't need to tell him anything. He knows the situation. 521 00:32:57,830 --> 00:32:59,790 S2: He knows what I need. He knows what I want 522 00:32:59,830 --> 00:33:03,750 S2: to ask anyway. And, um, his will is going to 523 00:33:03,750 --> 00:33:06,910 S2: be done. So why pray? Well, ultimately, we're trying to 524 00:33:06,950 --> 00:33:11,510 S2: unscrew the inscrutable there. We're trying to, uh, answer a 525 00:33:11,510 --> 00:33:15,830 S2: question that, uh, limited humans can never answer. But the 526 00:33:15,830 --> 00:33:19,800 S2: simple answer is God is sovereign. Why pray? Well, he. 527 00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:22,960 S2: He told us to. He commanded us to pray. He 528 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,920 S2: invites us to pray. And that's, uh, is one of 529 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:29,120 S2: the Psalms says, uh, I did not say, seek me 530 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:33,719 S2: in vain. So our prayers matter. The Lord uses our 531 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:38,400 S2: prayers in ways we don't understand. Uh, there are many 532 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:40,560 S2: things he does in his sovereignty, but part of his 533 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:45,280 S2: sovereign plan is to use our prayers. So prayer, our 534 00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:51,160 S2: prayers are part of the means he uses. And, um, 535 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:55,280 S2: so I mean, ultimately, like I said, it's an inscrutable problem, 536 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:57,640 S2: but we know this. He commands us to pray and 537 00:33:57,640 --> 00:34:00,040 S2: he says that our prayers make a difference. So we 538 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,040 S2: don't have to figure out how the sovereignty of God 539 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:06,800 S2: works into this. We pray because he's told us to pray. 540 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:12,839 S2: But more than that, ABBA father, the spirit causes us 541 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:16,520 S2: to pray. ABBA Father, he has given us this, this 542 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:21,600 S2: compulsion to talk with our Heavenly Father. And the spirit, 543 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,800 S2: as I said, just turns us into praying people. So 544 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:29,160 S2: if the Holy Spirit's within you, try not to pray. 545 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:32,839 S2: You can't. Your thoughts are always going Godward. That's just 546 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:36,279 S2: a part of like a baby, a child. Uh, you're 547 00:34:36,280 --> 00:34:40,200 S2: compelled to talk with your father. That's a part of 548 00:34:40,200 --> 00:34:41,000 S2: of life. 549 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:46,040 S1: And we miss out on that. On what he wants 550 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:49,200 S1: to do with our participation. See, this is the thing, 551 00:34:49,200 --> 00:34:52,640 S1: because I, I, uh, I like to write fiction. I 552 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:55,640 S1: like to read fiction. And fiction is one way that 553 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:58,320 S1: gets around to the back door of my own heart. 554 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,000 S1: And it kind of surprises me and makes me feel alive. 555 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:05,000 S1: And what I've learned about the best fiction, the best 556 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:09,760 S1: stories are those that draw people in and make them 557 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:13,640 S1: part of the story, that make they feel like, you know, 558 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:16,520 S1: To Kill a Mockingbird, that Jem and Scout, you know 559 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,839 S1: you're right there with them and Dill and Atticus and 560 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:23,000 S1: all that. It's like you're you're there. And I think 561 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:25,600 S1: in a lot. And some of the same kind of 562 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:30,880 S1: ways that God uses prayer to draw us into this 563 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:36,040 S1: participation with him of what's going on, rather than keeping 564 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:40,720 S1: us as just spectators. We get on the field with 565 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:45,680 S1: him and our working out our salvation, not working for 566 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:50,280 S1: our salvation, but working it out as we wrestle with 567 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:53,320 S1: these very things that you're talking about. Do you agree? 568 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:57,920 S2: Yes. Yes, I agree. And, um, yeah, I don't know 569 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:00,240 S2: if I can improve upon the way you put that. 570 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:04,560 S1: So that's doctor Don Whitney, founder and president of the 571 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:09,080 S1: center for Biblical Spirituality at Midwestern Seminary, professor of biblical 572 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:14,000 S1: spirituality and John H. Powell, professor of pastoral A ministry 573 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:17,520 S1: at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. You can find out more 574 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,840 S1: about him praying the Bible a great book. Ten Questions 575 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:26,200 S1: to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health. Also spiritual disciplines for the 576 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:44,280 S1: Christian life. You can find out more@chris.org. Chris fabry.org. Doctor 577 00:36:44,280 --> 00:36:47,040 S1: Don Whitney is joining us on this National Day of Prayer. 578 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:50,120 S1: And I wanted to have a candid conversation about prayer, 579 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:53,399 S1: and I hope this is encouraging to you. I know 580 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:57,200 S1: it is to me. So in this last segment, Don, 581 00:36:57,200 --> 00:36:59,839 S1: we've been talking about praying the Bible. Would you take 582 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,560 S1: me to a passage and tell me, give me an 583 00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:05,320 S1: example of what you mean by praying the Bible. 584 00:37:05,960 --> 00:37:08,280 S2: When I say pray the Bible, I'm saying just take 585 00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:12,400 S2: the words of the Bible and turn them into your 586 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,920 S2: prayers or bill your prayers around them. And let me illustrate. 587 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:21,080 S2: Be the easiest thing. So, uh, the very familiar 23rd Psalm. 588 00:37:21,239 --> 00:37:24,520 S2: So let's say I've already read meditated on the Bible. 589 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,440 S2: Maybe it's Psalm 23, maybe it's somewhere over in the 590 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,000 S2: New Testament. But I come to pray and I say, 591 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:33,440 S2: I want to pray the Bible, and I decide to 592 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:35,560 S2: go to the Psalms, which is a great place to 593 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:39,000 S2: do this. And I choose Psalm 23. So I'm moving 594 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,919 S2: from my Bible reading and meditation, if you will, to 595 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,840 S2: a time of prayer. But I start with Psalm 23 596 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:47,680 S2: in this case, and I read, the Lord is my shepherd, 597 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:51,120 S2: and I just turned that into prayer. Lord, thank you 598 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:54,760 S2: that you are my Shepherd. You're a good shepherd. You've 599 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:59,359 S2: shepherded me all my life. Lord, I pray today, though, 600 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:03,440 S2: that you would shepherd my family today. Guide them into 601 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:05,640 S2: the ways of God. Guard them from the ways of 602 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:09,040 S2: the world. Lead them not into temptation. And I pray, Lord, 603 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:13,420 S2: that you would make my my family Your sheep. 2nd 604 00:38:13,420 --> 00:38:16,919 S2: May they love you as their shepherd. As I love 605 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,200 S2: you as my Shepherd and Lord. Would you shepherd me 606 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:22,759 S2: in this decision I have to make today and so forth? 607 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:27,440 S2: Would you shepherd our under-shepherds at the church? Please shepherd 608 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:31,240 S2: them as they shepherd us. And whatever comes to mind 609 00:38:31,239 --> 00:38:33,480 S2: when you read, the Lord is my shepherd, and then 610 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:35,880 S2: when nothing else comes to mind, you go to the 611 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:39,120 S2: next line I shall not want. And you might pray 612 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:41,240 S2: something like this Lord, I thank you that I've never 613 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,960 S2: really been in want. I haven't missed many meals. All 614 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:47,360 S2: that I have, all that I am is from you, Lord. 615 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:49,920 S2: But I know it pleases you to bring my desires 616 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:54,759 S2: to you. So would you. Would you, uh, provide the 617 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:58,920 S2: finances we need for those bills, for that car, for school, or, 618 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:02,280 S2: you know, someone who is in want and you pray 619 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:06,759 S2: for them. And, uh, God's providing provision for them. And Lord, 620 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:08,359 S2: is there something you would have me do to meet 621 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:10,959 S2: that need? And then when nothing else comes to mind, 622 00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:13,279 S2: you go to the next line and then to the 623 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:15,840 S2: next line. If you don't understand the next verse, fine, 624 00:39:15,840 --> 00:39:17,759 S2: skip it. Go to the next line. If if you 625 00:39:17,760 --> 00:39:20,960 S2: understand the next verse perfectly, but it just doesn't prompt 626 00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:23,800 S2: anything for you to pray, go on to the next line. 627 00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:29,320 S2: And Chris, by this means, I believe that people will 628 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,200 S2: consistently pray for the things they want to pray for 629 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:35,480 S2: because it'll, it'll, they'll come oozing out of every text, 630 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:38,399 S2: and yet you will be delivered from saying the same 631 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:42,040 S2: old things about the same old things. And this works 632 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:44,160 S2: whether you've got five minutes to pray or you've got 633 00:39:44,160 --> 00:39:47,600 S2: five hours to pray, you never run out of anything 634 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:52,080 S2: to say, and you never repeat yourself. This is a 635 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:55,080 S2: biblical practice. I could elaborate on this. On the cross, 636 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:59,000 S2: Jesus prayed seven, uh, spoke seven times, and two of them. 637 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:02,040 S2: He was praying the Psalms in Acts chapter four, in 638 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,960 S2: that place where they were praying and the place was shaken. 639 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,279 S2: They were praying from Psalm two. Uh, and one of 640 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:11,839 S2: the greats of of church history in terms of prayer. 641 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:15,279 S2: George Mueller said that for ten years, when he would 642 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:17,640 S2: go to pray, his mind would wander and it would 643 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,040 S2: sometimes take him half an hour to an hour before 644 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,400 S2: he got into what he called the spirit of prayer. 645 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:26,160 S2: He said that all stopped when he started praying the Bible, 646 00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:31,680 S2: and he said, I never suffered that way, um, anymore. So, um, 647 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:36,320 S2: it's so simple. Anybody can do this. The newest Christian, 648 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:38,400 S2: the oldest Christian, the one who knows the Bible, at 649 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:40,879 S2: least the one who knows the Bible best. I mean, 650 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:44,040 S2: the six year old who, who reads, who can read, 651 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:48,800 S2: can do this. So, um, I, I just, um, it 652 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:52,080 S2: just gets me motivated. As I said, I think the 653 00:40:52,080 --> 00:40:54,760 S2: main reason ministry wise, God put me on the planet, 654 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,480 S2: other than preaching the gospel, is to teach people how 655 00:40:57,480 --> 00:40:58,240 S2: to do this. 656 00:40:59,080 --> 00:41:02,399 S1: I love it and I love that you've, you know, 657 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:05,880 S1: I can tell in your voice you are animated. This 658 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:09,440 S1: is like, this is been liberating for you, and you 659 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:15,360 S1: see how that it can pay dividends in other people's lives. 660 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:17,799 S1: Would you before we end here, I've got about five 661 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:20,280 S1: minutes before we end. Would you take us to another 662 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:25,160 S1: passage and maybe pray us through another part of the 663 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:26,759 S1: perhaps the Psalms? 664 00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:30,120 S2: Yeah. I'm using one of the Psalms of the day. 665 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:34,320 S2: And if your listeners know what that is, you start 666 00:41:34,320 --> 00:41:37,799 S2: with a day of the month and, uh, today's the seventh. 667 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:40,920 S2: And then you just keep adding 30 because 30 days 668 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:43,880 S2: of the month until you get five songs. So on 669 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:45,879 S2: the seventh of the month, the songs of the day 670 00:41:45,880 --> 00:41:50,560 S2: are seven and 30, 37. 30 more. 67, 30 more 671 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:54,759 S2: is 97, 30 more is 127. And I usually just 672 00:41:54,760 --> 00:41:57,520 S2: flip through those very quickly and choose one of those 673 00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:00,799 S2: to pray through. Uh, my normal times of prayer. So 674 00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:04,440 S2: for that reason, I am, uh, going to be at 675 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:08,840 S2: Psalm 37 and just starting at the top, though sometimes 676 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:11,279 S2: I start, you know, a little lower. But let me 677 00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:15,360 S2: just start at the top. It says fret not yourself 678 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:22,160 S2: because of evildoers. Be not envious of wrongdoers. Lord, I 679 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:26,360 S2: confess to you that, uh, I often do worry because 680 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,799 S2: of evildoers. I think of the things going on in 681 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:34,440 S2: the world where there are wars, and where there are, uh, 682 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:38,600 S2: evil things being done on a massive scale. And. And 683 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:41,000 S2: I want to I want to fret. How is this 684 00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:43,200 S2: going to work out? Is the world out of control? 685 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:47,960 S2: Where is it going? But you are in control. Uh, 686 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:52,160 S2: you're not worrying. You don't rub your hands together, wringing 687 00:42:52,160 --> 00:42:55,160 S2: your hands over what evil people are doing around the world. 688 00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:58,960 S2: And I thank you, Lord, that indeed you are in control. 689 00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:03,720 S2: And these people will soon fade like the grass and 690 00:43:03,719 --> 00:43:07,089 S2: wither like the green herb. All flesh is like grass. 691 00:43:07,130 --> 00:43:11,410 S2: You say in in Isaiah or in in your everlasting 692 00:43:12,610 --> 00:43:17,210 S2: you are in control. Though people appear to be powerfully, uh, 693 00:43:17,330 --> 00:43:20,170 S2: having their way of evil for a long time, you 694 00:43:20,170 --> 00:43:23,529 S2: are in control. Trust in the Lord and do good. 695 00:43:24,250 --> 00:43:29,489 S2: Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Lord. I need 696 00:43:29,489 --> 00:43:31,089 S2: to trust you with what's going on in the world. 697 00:43:31,090 --> 00:43:33,010 S2: But Lord, I need to trust you in my small 698 00:43:33,010 --> 00:43:37,530 S2: part of the world. I do believe, Lord, help my unbelief. 699 00:43:38,250 --> 00:43:41,250 S2: Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you 700 00:43:41,250 --> 00:43:45,890 S2: the desires of your heart. Lord, as we've already discussed 701 00:43:45,890 --> 00:43:49,210 S2: in this program, as we saw back in in First Chronicles, 702 00:43:49,210 --> 00:43:54,450 S2: we want to begin with you, to delight ourselves in you. 703 00:43:54,450 --> 00:43:58,050 S2: If you gave us everything we ever ask, we don't 704 00:43:58,050 --> 00:44:01,410 S2: delight in those things. Ultimately, our delight is in you. 705 00:44:01,410 --> 00:44:04,969 S2: So Lord, kindle your Word of God, your word, and 706 00:44:04,969 --> 00:44:08,330 S2: our hearts today that we would be reminded, as we 707 00:44:08,370 --> 00:44:12,569 S2: saw in first Chronicles of your grace, your mercy, your power. 708 00:44:12,610 --> 00:44:17,250 S2: All these attributes we revel in these things. Lord, you 709 00:44:17,250 --> 00:44:20,730 S2: are our God, and this is who you are. Help 710 00:44:20,730 --> 00:44:23,810 S2: us to delight ourselves in you today, and you will 711 00:44:23,810 --> 00:44:28,450 S2: put within us then what we ought to want, and 712 00:44:28,450 --> 00:44:30,649 S2: we commit our way to you now. Oh Lord, we 713 00:44:30,650 --> 00:44:35,170 S2: trust in you that you will act. We commit our country, 714 00:44:35,890 --> 00:44:39,810 S2: the leadership of our country. We commit the future of 715 00:44:39,810 --> 00:44:44,650 S2: this nation into your hands, and we trust in you, 716 00:44:45,250 --> 00:44:51,250 S2: your control, your sovereignty, your son. And in his name 717 00:44:51,250 --> 00:44:53,090 S2: we pray. Amen. 718 00:44:53,610 --> 00:44:58,570 S1: Amen. Don, that was especially appropriate today on the National 719 00:44:58,570 --> 00:45:01,689 S1: Day of Prayer. But you leading us to that. And 720 00:45:01,690 --> 00:45:05,170 S1: you didn't get to the to the seventh verse. And 721 00:45:05,170 --> 00:45:08,890 S1: maybe I'll just end with this. Verse seven of Psalm 722 00:45:08,890 --> 00:45:14,410 S1: 37 says, be still before the Lord and wait patiently 723 00:45:14,530 --> 00:45:18,810 S1: for him. And I pray that for you with whatever 724 00:45:18,810 --> 00:45:21,650 S1: it is that's going on in your life, I pray 725 00:45:21,650 --> 00:45:24,650 S1: it for me. I've been through a lot of loss 726 00:45:24,650 --> 00:45:28,890 S1: lately with friends and relatives and others who have even 727 00:45:29,050 --> 00:45:31,570 S1: just now, as we were recording this, I got a 728 00:45:32,050 --> 00:45:35,370 S1: text saying that, you know, dear friend is in surgery 729 00:45:35,370 --> 00:45:40,330 S1: right now. And so my thoughts have been of, oh, Lord, 730 00:45:40,370 --> 00:45:43,610 S1: you know, would you guide the hands of the surgeon there? 731 00:45:44,330 --> 00:45:48,489 S1: Thank you for leading us through that today. I knew 732 00:45:48,570 --> 00:45:52,009 S1: this would be a good conversation. And, uh, you've you've 733 00:45:52,050 --> 00:45:54,170 S1: helped us out a lot. Thanks for doing that. 734 00:45:54,930 --> 00:45:58,130 S2: You're so very welcome. And I'm, I'm grateful you invited 735 00:45:58,130 --> 00:46:01,649 S2: me again. Uh, in this world, it seems right now, 736 00:46:01,650 --> 00:46:05,930 S2: the only opportunities we are going to have for fellowship 737 00:46:05,930 --> 00:46:09,450 S2: through koinonia is in formal ways, kind of like this. But, uh, 738 00:46:09,810 --> 00:46:12,450 S2: the day is coming soon, brother, for unbroken fellowship. 739 00:46:13,210 --> 00:46:17,930 S1: Amen. Can't wait. But we can. We can because God is. 740 00:46:18,130 --> 00:46:20,569 S1: He is sovereign and he's working this out. And he's 741 00:46:20,570 --> 00:46:23,770 S1: used you today. I know in somebody's life I'm going 742 00:46:23,770 --> 00:46:26,170 S1: to get an email saying, I am so glad you 743 00:46:26,170 --> 00:46:29,690 S1: had Don Whitney on. Thank you, Don, for your heart. 744 00:46:29,969 --> 00:46:30,770 S1: God bless you. 745 00:46:31,410 --> 00:46:32,810 S2: Thank you brother. Same to you. 746 00:46:33,810 --> 00:46:37,489 S1: If you go to Chris fabriclive.org, you'll see a link. 747 00:46:37,730 --> 00:46:40,650 S1: We've been talking about several books. One of them is 748 00:46:40,650 --> 00:46:45,170 S1: praying the Bible. Let's go to Chris Fabriclive dot ORG. 749 00:46:45,730 --> 00:46:49,450 S1: Thanks for listening. Chris Fabriclive is a production of Moody Radio, 750 00:46:49,489 --> 00:46:51,810 S1: a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.