1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,400 S1: Hi friends, this is Janet Parshall. Thanks so much for 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,160 S1: downloading this podcast, and I hope you hear something that 3 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,560 S1: will really encourage and edify you. But before you start 4 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:09,400 S1: to listen, let me take a moment of your time 5 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,399 S1: and tell you about this month's truth tool. It's called 6 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,640 S1: secure How to Have a Healthy Attachment to God. And 7 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,360 S1: it follows that very often, whatever our relationship is like 8 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,000 S1: with authority figures, predominantly our parents, we somehow transferred to 9 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,040 S1: how we see God. So if we have an angry parent, 10 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,319 S1: he's an angry God. If it's a distant parent, he's 11 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,520 S1: a God who's not there. I think it's important we 12 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,680 S1: understand who God really is. And in this wonderful book 13 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,760 S1: called secure, you're going to discover the character of God 14 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,120 S1: and how deeply in love God is with you. It's 15 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:38,839 S1: our truth tool. Our truth tools are my way of 16 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,680 S1: saying thank you because we are listener supported radio. So 17 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:45,600 S1: if you'd like a copy of secure, just call eight 7758. 18 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,760 S1: That's eight 7758. Give a gift of any amount. My 19 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:50,840 S1: way of saying thank you for supporting the program is 20 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,000 S1: I'll send you a copy of secure. You can also 21 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,480 S1: do this online at In the Market with Janet Parshall. 22 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,560 S1: Scroll to the bottom of the page. There's the cover 23 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,920 S1: of the book secure. Click on the photo. Go right 24 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:03,920 S1: on through. Make your donation and we'll send you a 25 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,760 S1: copy again of secure. If you want to consider becoming 26 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,920 S1: a partial partner, that is the ever increasing circle of 27 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,039 S1: friends who give every single month at a level of 28 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,319 S1: their own choosing. And my way of saying thank you 29 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,760 S1: is this you always get the truth tool for each 30 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,920 S1: and every month. And in addition to that, you get 31 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,840 S1: a weekly newsletter that includes some of my writing and 32 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,440 S1: a little audio piece just for my partial partners. So 33 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,400 S1: either way, thank you in advance for prayerfully considering the 34 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,679 S1: opportunity to financially support in the market with Janet partial 35 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:32,679 S1: and keeping it on the air. Now, I hope you 36 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:34,880 S1: hear something that will encourage you to get out and 37 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:37,839 S1: influence and occupy in the marketplace of ideas. 38 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:40,640 S2: Here are some of the news headlines we're watching. 39 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:43,280 S3: The conference was over. The president won a pledge. 40 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:45,440 S4: Americans worshiping government over God. 41 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,120 S5: Extremely rare safety move by a 17 years. 42 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,880 S4: The Palestinians and Israelis negotiated is not. 43 00:02:06,470 --> 00:02:09,109 S1: Hi friends. Welcome to In the Market with Janet Parshall. 44 00:02:09,110 --> 00:02:11,390 S1: Thank you so much for spending the hour with me. 45 00:02:11,550 --> 00:02:13,829 S1: You know, in that cacophony that you just heard that 46 00:02:13,870 --> 00:02:16,830 S1: represents the marketplace of ideas, I'll tell you a very 47 00:02:16,830 --> 00:02:19,950 S1: popular theme that's thought about and talked about in practice. 48 00:02:19,950 --> 00:02:23,030 S1: And that's the issue of prayer. How do I know? Well, 49 00:02:23,070 --> 00:02:25,350 S1: because just look at our country as an example. We 50 00:02:25,350 --> 00:02:28,190 S1: have the National Prayer Breakfast in February. We have the 51 00:02:28,190 --> 00:02:31,630 S1: National Day of Prayer in May. We often have prayer 52 00:02:31,630 --> 00:02:35,030 S1: events and gatherings on Capitol Hill. We've got chaplains in 53 00:02:35,030 --> 00:02:37,070 S1: both the House and the Senate, and they open every 54 00:02:37,110 --> 00:02:40,910 S1: session that the members gather in prayer. And that's great. 55 00:02:40,910 --> 00:02:43,790 S1: That's a hallmark of a nation that was raised on 56 00:02:43,790 --> 00:02:47,910 S1: Christian principles, built on Judeo-Christian ideas and values. And that's marvelous. 57 00:02:47,910 --> 00:02:49,550 S1: And that's the culture. But now, let me talk to 58 00:02:49,550 --> 00:02:52,110 S1: you about your life and prayer. Oh, wait, come back here. 59 00:02:52,389 --> 00:02:54,790 S1: I know what it is about this conversation about prayer. 60 00:02:54,830 --> 00:02:57,550 S1: So many people are so frustrated in this part of 61 00:02:57,590 --> 00:03:00,669 S1: their life, and yet it's like breathing. It should be. 62 00:03:00,710 --> 00:03:04,350 S1: I mean, we have been given permission to enter boldly. 63 00:03:04,350 --> 00:03:07,590 S1: That word sits there in Hebrews before the throne of grace. 64 00:03:07,590 --> 00:03:10,030 S1: And yet we just don't get it. We think it 65 00:03:10,030 --> 00:03:12,150 S1: has to be formulaic. We think it has to be 66 00:03:12,150 --> 00:03:14,790 S1: done a certain way. We think that if we don't 67 00:03:14,790 --> 00:03:16,870 S1: have if we have any confessed sin in our life, 68 00:03:16,870 --> 00:03:19,710 S1: that somehow our prayers don't go beyond the ceiling. We 69 00:03:19,710 --> 00:03:22,670 S1: have all of these bizarre ideas about prayer. And the 70 00:03:22,669 --> 00:03:25,829 S1: worst one of all is when you think that God 71 00:03:25,830 --> 00:03:28,669 S1: is not there. He's not an absentee God by any 72 00:03:28,669 --> 00:03:30,870 S1: stretch of the imagination. But somehow, in our little puny 73 00:03:30,910 --> 00:03:33,910 S1: mortals minds, we think if we pray and our prayer 74 00:03:33,910 --> 00:03:35,990 S1: doesn't get answered, at least we think it hasn't been 75 00:03:35,990 --> 00:03:38,670 S1: answered because we didn't get the answer we wanted. That 76 00:03:38,670 --> 00:03:40,550 S1: somehow God is not answering our prayers. And you know 77 00:03:40,550 --> 00:03:43,870 S1: what's dangerous about that? You can grow cold if you 78 00:03:43,870 --> 00:03:46,190 S1: think that God isn't going to answer your prayers. You 79 00:03:46,190 --> 00:03:49,150 S1: don't understand what prayer is about and where purpose in 80 00:03:49,150 --> 00:03:52,790 S1: his will fits into all of this. You will grow cold. 81 00:03:52,790 --> 00:03:54,550 S1: And the Bible tells us that's going to happen in 82 00:03:54,670 --> 00:03:56,310 S1: the latter days and I don't want that to happen. 83 00:03:56,310 --> 00:03:59,190 S1: So I was absolutely thrilled when a book came across 84 00:03:59,190 --> 00:04:01,870 S1: my desk written foreword written by my friend Anne Graham Lotz. 85 00:04:01,870 --> 00:04:04,270 S1: The book is called Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers? 86 00:04:04,430 --> 00:04:07,070 S1: And it's a biblical guide to God's hidden purposes. Who 87 00:04:07,070 --> 00:04:08,910 S1: do you think wrote it? Well, you don't have to 88 00:04:08,910 --> 00:04:10,550 S1: use a lifeline or call a friend. I'm going to 89 00:04:10,550 --> 00:04:12,910 S1: tell you, Doctor Erwin Lutzer did. So you know, right 90 00:04:12,910 --> 00:04:14,550 S1: out of the gate. It's going to be good. He 91 00:04:14,590 --> 00:04:17,190 S1: is pastor emeritus of the Moody Church in Chicago, where 92 00:04:17,190 --> 00:04:20,310 S1: he served as the senior pastor for 36 years. He 93 00:04:20,350 --> 00:04:23,430 S1: is a respected theologian. He got his undergrad degree from 94 00:04:23,430 --> 00:04:25,950 S1: Winnipeg Bible College. Back to that in a minute. He 95 00:04:25,990 --> 00:04:28,830 S1: got a master's from Dallas Theological Seminary, another master's in 96 00:04:28,830 --> 00:04:32,270 S1: philosophy from Loyola University. Then he got an honorary LL.D. 97 00:04:32,670 --> 00:04:34,710 S1: from the Simon Greenleaf School of Law. So I guess 98 00:04:34,710 --> 00:04:38,070 S1: you could call him pastor emeritus doctor, lawyer. Erwin Lutzer 99 00:04:38,230 --> 00:04:39,750 S1: but then that would take up most of the hours. 100 00:04:39,750 --> 00:04:41,750 S1: So I won't say that he is, by the way, 101 00:04:41,790 --> 00:04:43,950 S1: not only an award winning author, but he's the featured 102 00:04:43,950 --> 00:04:47,710 S1: speaker on not one, but two radio programs heard nationwide 103 00:04:47,710 --> 00:04:51,110 S1: on more than a thousand networks and 1000 stations. So 104 00:04:51,110 --> 00:04:53,100 S1: I'm so glad we're going to talk about this. Roll 105 00:04:53,100 --> 00:04:56,100 S1: up your sleeves, friends. Put on your thinking cap. We're 106 00:04:56,100 --> 00:04:58,580 S1: going to think critically and biblically about this concept of prayer, 107 00:04:58,580 --> 00:05:00,500 S1: because what a gift it is to be able to 108 00:05:00,500 --> 00:05:03,020 S1: commune with our king. And yet we get all messed 109 00:05:03,020 --> 00:05:05,820 S1: up in this area. Doctor Lutzer, the warmest of welcomes. 110 00:05:05,820 --> 00:05:08,779 S1: I want to go to Winnipeg. My mama spent every 111 00:05:08,779 --> 00:05:11,300 S1: summer as a child growing up on Lake Gimli. Did 112 00:05:11,300 --> 00:05:13,540 S1: you ever visit it when you were at Winnipeg Bible College? 113 00:05:14,260 --> 00:05:17,779 S6: I'm sure I did, but you know, I look back 114 00:05:17,779 --> 00:05:21,500 S6: on those days, which were many, many years ago and 115 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:24,220 S6: all that I remember, Janet, is the snow during the 116 00:05:24,220 --> 00:05:28,260 S6: winter and how we could walk across a river. And 117 00:05:28,260 --> 00:05:31,339 S6: then one day I was walking across the river and 118 00:05:31,380 --> 00:05:34,060 S6: the ice began to crack. I did not realize that 119 00:05:34,060 --> 00:05:37,620 S6: it was spring, and as a result of that, I 120 00:05:37,620 --> 00:05:40,140 S6: became very fearful. And of course I made it to 121 00:05:40,180 --> 00:05:44,580 S6: the shore. But it's a great city. Winnipeg Bible College 122 00:05:44,900 --> 00:05:47,300 S6: many years ago. I learned a lot there. 123 00:05:47,580 --> 00:05:49,980 S1: Wow. Excellent. You got to tell me about the LLC. 124 00:05:50,740 --> 00:05:53,220 S1: I'm thrilled that you got that honorary degree. Tell me 125 00:05:53,220 --> 00:05:53,739 S1: about it. 126 00:05:54,420 --> 00:05:58,419 S6: Yes. Simon Greenleaf School of Law has been in existence 127 00:05:58,420 --> 00:06:02,100 S6: for a while. It was founded many years ago by 128 00:06:02,100 --> 00:06:05,539 S6: a man by the name of John Warwick Montgomery. And 129 00:06:05,540 --> 00:06:09,740 S6: so it was back then that he awarded me an 130 00:06:09,740 --> 00:06:14,339 S6: honorary doctorate. And, um, you know, even as I think 131 00:06:14,339 --> 00:06:18,140 S6: back over my life, I realized that so many people 132 00:06:18,140 --> 00:06:22,980 S6: along the way encouraged me and helped me. And, uh, 133 00:06:23,100 --> 00:06:26,219 S6: I just take delight in the fact that God has 134 00:06:26,220 --> 00:06:29,620 S6: graciously guided me by his hand of providence. 135 00:06:29,940 --> 00:06:32,940 S1: Hmm. Well, how interesting do you think that if you 136 00:06:32,940 --> 00:06:36,539 S1: hadn't followed the Lord's directive to become a pastor and 137 00:06:36,540 --> 00:06:38,260 S1: a writer and a teacher, that you might have been 138 00:06:38,260 --> 00:06:39,660 S1: interested in going into the law? 139 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:44,900 S6: I don't think so. I think, to be honest, I 140 00:06:44,900 --> 00:06:48,020 S6: think that politics might have been something that I'd be 141 00:06:48,020 --> 00:06:51,420 S6: very interested in. You know, I've always wanted to talk. 142 00:06:51,420 --> 00:06:54,540 S6: And if I wasn't talking as a preacher, I might 143 00:06:54,540 --> 00:06:58,860 S6: want to talk as a politician. But let's not go there, Janet, 144 00:06:58,860 --> 00:07:03,900 S6: because I am so glad that I was called of 145 00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:06,260 S6: God to do ministry. And by the way, I knew 146 00:07:06,300 --> 00:07:08,780 S6: that ever since I was a child, at about the 147 00:07:08,779 --> 00:07:12,580 S6: age 14. Really, as you might know, I became enamored 148 00:07:12,580 --> 00:07:16,619 S6: with Billy Graham. And, um, as a result of that, 149 00:07:16,660 --> 00:07:21,100 S6: even on the farm in Canada, I knew that that 150 00:07:21,100 --> 00:07:24,140 S6: was not my destiny. But I didn't know what God 151 00:07:24,140 --> 00:07:26,220 S6: would have in store for me. And it's all been 152 00:07:26,260 --> 00:07:27,780 S6: of him and His grace. 153 00:07:28,060 --> 00:07:30,580 S1: Wow. And what a rich, full life it has been. 154 00:07:30,620 --> 00:07:33,060 S1: You've traveled the world. I love the tours that you lead, 155 00:07:33,060 --> 00:07:36,300 S1: by the way, as you teach church history. But I 156 00:07:36,300 --> 00:07:39,940 S1: also am so thrilled. Not only do you have 36 wonderful, 157 00:07:39,940 --> 00:07:43,740 S1: fruitful years as pastor at Moody Church, but also the 158 00:07:43,740 --> 00:07:46,580 S1: fact that you still write books and you still influence 159 00:07:46,580 --> 00:07:49,330 S1: our lives with your important teaching and you know, I 160 00:07:49,370 --> 00:07:51,490 S1: made some remarks about prayer before, I have to tell you. 161 00:07:51,530 --> 00:07:53,410 S1: Decades of sitting in front of a microphone, I have 162 00:07:53,410 --> 00:07:55,490 S1: to tell you, I can literally hear people leave the 163 00:07:55,490 --> 00:07:58,130 S1: room when we get to the subject of prayer for 164 00:07:58,130 --> 00:08:00,450 S1: the believer. Why is it that this is such a 165 00:08:00,450 --> 00:08:02,090 S1: pragmatic topic for us? 166 00:08:02,970 --> 00:08:06,250 S6: Well, the reason I wrote the book that we're talking about, 167 00:08:06,250 --> 00:08:09,810 S6: why doesn't God answer my prayers? Janet, you and I 168 00:08:09,850 --> 00:08:15,050 S6: know that so many people deconstruct because God has not 169 00:08:15,050 --> 00:08:18,890 S6: answered their prayers. I know somebody, for example, who has 170 00:08:18,890 --> 00:08:22,570 S6: just turned their back on God because God, they feel 171 00:08:22,610 --> 00:08:25,610 S6: God wasn't there for them during a time of abuse. 172 00:08:26,090 --> 00:08:29,450 S6: They prayed. They didn't think that their prayer was answered. 173 00:08:29,450 --> 00:08:33,130 S6: Or you think of the opening illustration in my book 174 00:08:33,130 --> 00:08:36,410 S6: of a woman who says, God has forsaken me. She'd 175 00:08:36,450 --> 00:08:40,250 S6: been listening to TV preachers that told her that if 176 00:08:40,250 --> 00:08:43,370 S6: she had enough faith, her husband would would be healed. 177 00:08:43,370 --> 00:08:48,930 S6: He wasn't healed. And so she took the blame for that. And, um, 178 00:08:49,210 --> 00:08:52,530 S6: you know, thankfully she didn't walk away from the faith. 179 00:08:52,530 --> 00:08:56,930 S6: But I know many young people, especially who feel that 180 00:08:56,929 --> 00:09:00,850 S6: they prayed. God did not answer. And so they say, 181 00:09:00,890 --> 00:09:03,210 S6: spiritually speaking, I'm out of here. 182 00:09:03,490 --> 00:09:03,810 S1: Yeah. 183 00:09:03,850 --> 00:09:05,090 S6: Why should I bother? 184 00:09:05,610 --> 00:09:07,810 S1: Which is why I'm one of many reasons. I'm so 185 00:09:07,809 --> 00:09:10,130 S1: glad you wrote this book. Doctor Erwin Lutzer is with 186 00:09:10,130 --> 00:09:13,010 S1: us for the entire hour. That's really a treat. And 187 00:09:13,010 --> 00:09:15,730 S1: his newest book is called Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers? 188 00:09:15,770 --> 00:09:19,689 S1: The subtitle, A Biblical Guide to God's Hidden Purposes. That 189 00:09:19,690 --> 00:09:21,690 S1: subtitle gives you a sneak peek of what this book 190 00:09:21,690 --> 00:09:24,690 S1: is all about. I've got some very important questions to 191 00:09:24,730 --> 00:09:27,330 S1: ask about prayer. When we come back, I'm going to 192 00:09:27,330 --> 00:09:29,290 S1: start with this question. Why do we bother to pray 193 00:09:29,290 --> 00:09:31,569 S1: at all if God is sovereign? I'm anxious to hear 194 00:09:31,570 --> 00:09:34,370 S1: Doctor Luther's answer to that. We'll continue right after this. 195 00:09:44,730 --> 00:09:48,330 S1: We were created for relationships. Developing a healthy attachment to 196 00:09:48,370 --> 00:09:51,570 S1: God helps us form good relationships with others, and that's 197 00:09:51,570 --> 00:09:54,210 S1: why I've chosen secure how to have a healthy attachment 198 00:09:54,210 --> 00:09:56,810 S1: to God. As this month's truth tool, discover how real 199 00:09:56,809 --> 00:09:59,570 S1: security is found in your relationship with God. Ask for 200 00:09:59,570 --> 00:10:01,490 S1: your copy of secure. When you give a gift of 201 00:10:01,490 --> 00:10:05,170 S1: any amount to in the market, call 877. 58. That's 202 00:10:05,170 --> 00:10:08,530 S1: 877 Janet 58 or go to in the market with 203 00:10:08,530 --> 00:10:15,530 S1: Janet Parshall. Pastor emeritus Doctor Erwin Lutzer is our guest. 204 00:10:15,570 --> 00:10:17,890 S1: He was the pastor at Moody Church for 36 years. 205 00:10:17,890 --> 00:10:19,970 S1: He still holds two radio programs that go out on 206 00:10:20,010 --> 00:10:23,010 S1: hundreds and hundreds of stations all across the country. And 207 00:10:23,010 --> 00:10:25,890 S1: thank you, Lord. He's still very much writing and teaching us. 208 00:10:25,890 --> 00:10:27,969 S1: His latest book is called Why Doesn't God Answer My 209 00:10:27,970 --> 00:10:32,410 S1: Prayers A Biblical Guide to God's Hidden Purposes. And I 210 00:10:32,450 --> 00:10:34,770 S1: love this book, as you can well imagine, it is 211 00:10:34,770 --> 00:10:38,130 S1: just filled with rich theology and wonderful Bible teaching and 212 00:10:38,130 --> 00:10:39,770 S1: Doctor Lutzer, I'm going to take this out of order 213 00:10:39,770 --> 00:10:42,130 S1: because I want to go to really, the last chapter 214 00:10:42,130 --> 00:10:43,960 S1: you wrote is sort of an umbrella under which to 215 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,200 S1: have the rest of our discussion, because if we don't 216 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,240 S1: understand the power of prayer and the purpose of prayer, 217 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,119 S1: then we're never going to really get to those frustrating 218 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:54,240 S1: questions about, well, why do I think he doesn't hear 219 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:56,760 S1: my prayer and where that comes into alignment with his will? 220 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:59,440 S1: So I this and as I read the book, I 221 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,559 S1: kept thinking, this is really as much about the character 222 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:03,720 S1: of God as it is about the nature of prayer. 223 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,520 S1: So if God is sovereign and he knows all things, 224 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,559 S1: and he has since before there was even the time, 225 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:13,439 S1: then why do I pray? Is does it really? We 226 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,480 S1: read in the scriptures that the prayers, the fervent prayer 227 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,480 S1: of a righteous man, availeth much so. I'm not changing 228 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,800 S1: God's mind. Why would I bother to pray if God 229 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:22,319 S1: already knows the outcome? 230 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:27,800 S6: Janet, that's a fascinating question and many people stumble over it. 231 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:33,000 S6: But isn't this interesting? In Matthew chapter six, beginning at 232 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:38,439 S6: verse seven, Jesus is discussing that very point. He says 233 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:43,240 S6: to his disciples, don't use repetition like the heathen do, 234 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,040 S6: for they think that they shall be heard for their 235 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:51,599 S6: much speaking. And your heavenly father already knows what you need. 236 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:57,280 S6: We might expect Jesus to say so. Don't bother praying. No. 237 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:00,800 S6: What does he say in this manner? Therefore pray. And 238 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,520 S6: then he goes into the Lord's Prayer. So what Jesus 239 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:08,560 S6: is saying is just because God knows the future and 240 00:12:08,559 --> 00:12:13,160 S6: knows in advance what we need, that's not to be 241 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:17,560 S6: a deterrent for our prayer. Rather, we should pray according 242 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,800 S6: to the Lord's Prayer. And how does it begin? Our father, 243 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,000 S6: which is in heaven, and so forth. Now, one of 244 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,160 S6: the points I make in the book, and I think 245 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:30,679 S6: I make it multiple times, probably, is simply this. The 246 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:35,520 S6: real reason of prayer is not just to get answers 247 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:41,439 S6: from God. It's to have fellowship with God and to realize, ultimately, 248 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,440 S6: we need that fellowship with God even more than we 249 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:49,080 S6: need the answer to our requests. You know, the prodigal son, 250 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,439 S6: he came home because he was hungry. But I suspect 251 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,840 S6: he really needed his father more than he did his dinner. 252 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,040 S6: And what you and I have to understand is that 253 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,760 S6: God uses all the needs around us so that we 254 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:07,680 S6: keep drawing to him so that we keep that relationship, 255 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,600 S6: and so that it is really a means by which 256 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:13,520 S6: we are brought into the presence of God. There's a 257 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,200 S6: lot of mystery, and I point that out when it 258 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,520 S6: comes to human responsibility and divine sovereignty. Well, that's something 259 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:25,079 S6: we could discuss at length and understand that nobody really 260 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:30,560 S6: comprehends it. But the point is, let us always remember 261 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:33,960 S6: to draw near to God. As you open the program 262 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:37,079 S6: and talked about that privilege to come to the throne 263 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:42,510 S6: of grace, it is there that we encounter God, and 264 00:13:42,510 --> 00:13:45,510 S6: it is our needs that keep drawing us to him. 265 00:13:45,790 --> 00:13:48,710 S1: Yeah, exactly. Oh, I love the fact that you talk 266 00:13:48,750 --> 00:13:52,790 S1: about it's really about developing, developing fellowship with God. You know, 267 00:13:52,790 --> 00:13:55,070 S1: so often in our prayer life, rather than coming with 268 00:13:55,070 --> 00:13:57,550 S1: a list of needs and wants just to realize that 269 00:13:57,550 --> 00:13:59,709 S1: I have the privilege, again, hearkening back to what we 270 00:13:59,710 --> 00:14:02,670 S1: just referenced in Hebrews, the privilege of being able to 271 00:14:02,710 --> 00:14:04,550 S1: approach the throne of grace. You know, you've met a 272 00:14:04,550 --> 00:14:06,630 S1: lot of important people in the world, as have I. 273 00:14:06,910 --> 00:14:10,550 S1: I met the prince who's now the king and in England, 274 00:14:10,550 --> 00:14:12,550 S1: and we were told ahead of time what we were 275 00:14:12,550 --> 00:14:15,030 S1: and were not allowed to say. We never touch His Majesty. 276 00:14:15,070 --> 00:14:17,350 S1: We do not speak before him. We keep our hands 277 00:14:17,350 --> 00:14:20,110 S1: to ourselves. If you feel so led as a US citizen, 278 00:14:20,110 --> 00:14:23,030 S1: you may curtsy and had a moment of moral quagmire 279 00:14:23,030 --> 00:14:26,110 S1: there personally. But I passed on that. But the the 280 00:14:26,150 --> 00:14:28,510 S1: point is, I had all these rules and regulations. I 281 00:14:28,750 --> 00:14:32,070 S1: can now talk to the King of Kings, and I 282 00:14:32,070 --> 00:14:33,830 S1: don't have to do any of that. I can rush in. 283 00:14:33,830 --> 00:14:36,430 S1: I can lay my broken heart at his feet. I 284 00:14:36,430 --> 00:14:40,030 S1: can sing my praises right before him. And yet we're 285 00:14:40,030 --> 00:14:42,270 S1: so reticent to do it because we think he's somehow 286 00:14:42,270 --> 00:14:44,870 S1: in absentia. You write in the book, the purpose of 287 00:14:44,870 --> 00:14:47,150 S1: prayer is not to inform God, but to bring our 288 00:14:47,150 --> 00:14:50,150 S1: thoughts and our will in line with his purposes. Therein 289 00:14:50,150 --> 00:14:52,270 S1: lies another biggie for the believer as they're trying to 290 00:14:52,310 --> 00:14:55,270 S1: grow upon him, which is if we thought prayer was 291 00:14:55,270 --> 00:14:57,230 S1: an interesting topic, so was the idea of trying to 292 00:14:57,230 --> 00:15:00,390 S1: find God's will. How do we bring our needs to him? 293 00:15:00,390 --> 00:15:02,550 S1: But more importantly, how do we learn to know what 294 00:15:02,550 --> 00:15:04,390 S1: his will is for our life and to pray in 295 00:15:04,390 --> 00:15:05,350 S1: accordance with that? 296 00:15:06,150 --> 00:15:08,630 S6: Well, if anyone is listening today and they don't know 297 00:15:08,630 --> 00:15:12,230 S6: what God's will is, and of course we've often gone 298 00:15:12,230 --> 00:15:16,190 S6: through that. I know this much is God's will, that 299 00:15:16,190 --> 00:15:19,510 S6: we give him praise. That's a good place to begin. 300 00:15:19,990 --> 00:15:23,510 S6: I begin every morning by quoting part of a psalm, 301 00:15:23,990 --> 00:15:27,550 S6: different psalms. I will bless the Lord at all times. 302 00:15:27,550 --> 00:15:30,710 S6: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. And then 303 00:15:30,710 --> 00:15:33,430 S6: it goes on and on. So here's what you need 304 00:15:33,430 --> 00:15:36,910 S6: to do as far as God's will is concerned. What 305 00:15:36,910 --> 00:15:39,830 S6: I tell God when I'm facing a decision is this 306 00:15:39,830 --> 00:15:43,590 S6: I'm saying, Lord, you know that it's my intention to 307 00:15:43,630 --> 00:15:46,630 S6: do A, B, or C, and then I tell him 308 00:15:46,630 --> 00:15:49,390 S6: and then I say, but if I'm wrong, would you 309 00:15:49,430 --> 00:15:54,550 S6: close the door? So often when I have prayed that 310 00:15:54,550 --> 00:15:58,830 S6: a door has either been opened or closed, and there's 311 00:15:58,830 --> 00:16:01,830 S6: a promise that we can hang on to. In James, 312 00:16:02,270 --> 00:16:04,590 S6: you know, if any of you lack wisdom, let him 313 00:16:04,590 --> 00:16:08,830 S6: ask of God who gives to all men Liberty. Liberty? Uh, 314 00:16:09,190 --> 00:16:14,190 S6: he gives Libre. He gives with great liberty. The answer, 315 00:16:15,190 --> 00:16:17,950 S6: chapter number two in the book is this. And I 316 00:16:17,950 --> 00:16:22,030 S6: feel so deeply about this, it is that some people say, 317 00:16:22,030 --> 00:16:26,830 S6: God help me, but what they aren't praying is God 318 00:16:26,830 --> 00:16:30,030 S6: change me. So the first thing that you have to 319 00:16:30,030 --> 00:16:32,910 S6: do if you're seeking God's will, is to lay everything 320 00:16:32,910 --> 00:16:38,060 S6: before him and say, I'm willing to do whatever you 321 00:16:38,100 --> 00:16:41,660 S6: show me to do. I do not want any distance 322 00:16:41,660 --> 00:16:46,580 S6: between my will and yours. And then you'll be surprised 323 00:16:46,820 --> 00:16:50,100 S6: at the various ways in which God can lead us 324 00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:53,860 S6: to make a good decision, or the decision that he 325 00:16:53,860 --> 00:16:58,780 S6: desires us to have. So it's so important that we 326 00:16:58,780 --> 00:17:01,619 S6: keep that, you know, the Bible says, pray without ceasing. 327 00:17:02,020 --> 00:17:04,660 S6: I have to tell you, Janet, I'm praying right now 328 00:17:04,700 --> 00:17:08,700 S6: in the back of my mind, I'm committing this interview 329 00:17:08,700 --> 00:17:12,460 S6: to the Lord and recognizing that I have to do 330 00:17:12,460 --> 00:17:16,340 S6: it in dependence upon him, because if it's not done 331 00:17:16,340 --> 00:17:19,859 S6: in dependence upon him, it will fall on deaf ears. 332 00:17:20,020 --> 00:17:22,380 S1: Yes, Amen and amen. Well, I want you to know 333 00:17:22,380 --> 00:17:24,780 S1: we're both praying because I want to make sure I 334 00:17:24,780 --> 00:17:27,700 S1: ask the right questions that honor and glorify him and 335 00:17:27,700 --> 00:17:30,700 S1: give you the opportunity to answer the questions so that 336 00:17:30,740 --> 00:17:34,180 S1: back the head prayer. I do that all the time 337 00:17:34,180 --> 00:17:36,340 S1: as well. I love the book. It's called Why Doesn't 338 00:17:36,340 --> 00:17:38,820 S1: God Answer My Prayers? And then he offers a biblical 339 00:17:38,820 --> 00:17:41,820 S1: guide to God's hidden purposes. Doctor Erwin Lutzer back after this. 340 00:17:47,540 --> 00:17:49,540 S1: We have the privilege of spending the hour with Doctor 341 00:17:49,540 --> 00:17:52,740 S1: Erwin Lutzer, who's the pastor emeritus of the Moody Church 342 00:17:52,740 --> 00:17:55,900 S1: in Chicago. He had that position for 36 years, and 343 00:17:55,900 --> 00:18:00,260 S1: he is still on radio, on multiple stations and multiple programs, 344 00:18:00,260 --> 00:18:02,740 S1: and he is still a very prolific writer. And every 345 00:18:02,740 --> 00:18:04,379 S1: one of his books, I can't wait every time I 346 00:18:04,380 --> 00:18:06,460 S1: know that Doctor Lutzer has a new book coming out, 347 00:18:06,700 --> 00:18:09,380 S1: and this most recent did not disappoint. It's called Why 348 00:18:09,380 --> 00:18:12,460 S1: Doesn't God Answer My Prayers? And it's a wonderful guide 349 00:18:12,540 --> 00:18:15,940 S1: to really understanding our prayers, coming into alignment with God's 350 00:18:15,980 --> 00:18:19,500 S1: often hidden purposes. It's such a book of encouragement. I 351 00:18:19,500 --> 00:18:22,220 S1: so appreciate it. Doctor Lutsey you started the book out 352 00:18:22,220 --> 00:18:25,260 S1: as you do. It's your inimitable style going right to 353 00:18:25,300 --> 00:18:27,940 S1: the core of the problems with the prosperity gospel. This 354 00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:30,379 S1: whole idea of name it and claim it and why 355 00:18:30,500 --> 00:18:32,820 S1: I'm going to guess that you did it this way, 356 00:18:32,980 --> 00:18:34,699 S1: but I think it's in keeping with the rest of 357 00:18:34,700 --> 00:18:36,860 S1: the theme of the book is that we don't want 358 00:18:36,859 --> 00:18:39,300 S1: people to have a misunderstanding of prayer, because we don't 359 00:18:39,300 --> 00:18:41,060 S1: want you to grow cold. We don't want you to 360 00:18:41,100 --> 00:18:43,340 S1: fall away. We don't want you to turn your back 361 00:18:43,340 --> 00:18:47,260 S1: from your relationship with Jesus because you had a misunderstanding 362 00:18:47,260 --> 00:18:49,660 S1: of prayer. You know, if name it and claimed it worked, 363 00:18:49,660 --> 00:18:51,700 S1: the Apostle Paul would be the poster boy for this. 364 00:18:51,700 --> 00:18:53,500 S1: He prays over and over again for this thorn to 365 00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:56,020 S1: be removed. It doesn't get removed. If anybody should have 366 00:18:56,020 --> 00:18:58,300 S1: been deserving of a quote, prosperity gospel, it would have 367 00:18:58,300 --> 00:19:00,420 S1: been Paul. Tell me what the problems are with this 368 00:19:00,420 --> 00:19:02,060 S1: idea of prosperity gospel. 369 00:19:02,780 --> 00:19:06,380 S6: Well, the prosperity gospel teaches that when Jesus died on 370 00:19:06,380 --> 00:19:10,740 S6: the cross, as far as the propitiation is concerned, as 371 00:19:10,740 --> 00:19:13,580 S6: he paid for our sins, he redeemed us body, soul, 372 00:19:13,580 --> 00:19:17,939 S6: and spirit. So from that they deduce that you can 373 00:19:17,940 --> 00:19:22,980 S6: claim and demand healing whenever you want it. I point 374 00:19:22,980 --> 00:19:25,700 S6: out the story of some friends of ours who believed 375 00:19:25,700 --> 00:19:29,250 S6: that they would never die. They said, every day we're 376 00:19:29,250 --> 00:19:32,490 S6: going to be receiving healing from God. And so we're 377 00:19:32,490 --> 00:19:37,010 S6: going to live until Jesus returns. Well, I hope that 378 00:19:37,010 --> 00:19:39,410 S6: you aren't too surprised when I tell you that they 379 00:19:39,410 --> 00:19:42,810 S6: did die. Now, what's wrong with that? I do believe, 380 00:19:42,810 --> 00:19:47,010 S6: and I point out that Jesus did die for us body, soul, 381 00:19:47,010 --> 00:19:52,090 S6: and spirit. But we don't receive our entire inheritance in 382 00:19:52,090 --> 00:19:55,369 S6: this life. As a matter of fact, it's very clear 383 00:19:55,369 --> 00:19:58,490 S6: you pointed out the Apostle Paul prays that his thorn 384 00:19:58,490 --> 00:20:02,050 S6: in the flesh will leave him. We don't receive it all. 385 00:20:02,050 --> 00:20:07,369 S6: Jesus came to abolish death, but we all die. So 386 00:20:07,810 --> 00:20:12,730 S6: here's the problem. If you are taught that whenever you 387 00:20:12,770 --> 00:20:15,570 S6: are sick, you can be healed. If you have enough faith, 388 00:20:15,570 --> 00:20:19,330 S6: think of the guilt that that generates on somebody because 389 00:20:19,369 --> 00:20:23,290 S6: you know, he prays, she prays for a child or whatever. 390 00:20:23,570 --> 00:20:27,610 S6: The healing does not occur. They blame themselves. And then 391 00:20:27,609 --> 00:20:29,690 S6: I don't want to be too hard on this. But Janet, 392 00:20:29,690 --> 00:20:32,369 S6: I've seen issues in which if there is a healing 393 00:20:32,530 --> 00:20:36,129 S6: and of course I believe that God sometimes heals, then 394 00:20:36,130 --> 00:20:39,850 S6: the faith healer takes the credit. Yes. So the point 395 00:20:39,850 --> 00:20:43,810 S6: is that no matter what happens, you're the person who 396 00:20:43,850 --> 00:20:47,930 S6: loses in this. And for people to come into somebody's 397 00:20:47,930 --> 00:20:52,530 S6: hospital bed and room and say to them, you know, 398 00:20:52,570 --> 00:20:55,130 S6: if you just had the faith right now, you could 399 00:20:55,130 --> 00:20:59,050 S6: stand up and walk. We've known people who took their 400 00:20:59,050 --> 00:21:03,090 S6: glasses and threw them into the stove, because, after all, 401 00:21:03,090 --> 00:21:05,130 S6: that was a step of faith that they were going 402 00:21:05,130 --> 00:21:10,610 S6: to be healed from whatever, uh, whatever eye problem they had. Well, 403 00:21:10,609 --> 00:21:14,250 S6: they weren't they had to go buy their glasses again later. 404 00:21:14,650 --> 00:21:20,370 S6: So let's not promise things that aren't there. Now, I 405 00:21:20,410 --> 00:21:25,330 S6: do believe in divine healing. At Moody Church. Us as elders, 406 00:21:25,330 --> 00:21:29,130 S6: we gather together and we prayed for sick people who 407 00:21:29,130 --> 00:21:31,010 S6: wanted to be prayed. But one of the things we 408 00:21:31,010 --> 00:21:35,610 S6: always did before that is we counseled them. Sometimes we 409 00:21:35,609 --> 00:21:38,370 S6: discovered that there were issues in their life that they 410 00:21:38,369 --> 00:21:42,010 S6: were not facing. So it became a spiritual problem and 411 00:21:42,010 --> 00:21:45,410 S6: not just a physical problem. And sometimes there were those 412 00:21:45,410 --> 00:21:49,609 S6: who returned who said, absolutely they were healed. Sometimes they weren't. 413 00:21:49,810 --> 00:21:55,210 S6: But we had to depend on God and ultimately bow 414 00:21:55,210 --> 00:21:58,610 S6: to his will. You know, Janet, while I'm on this topic, 415 00:21:58,970 --> 00:22:01,409 S6: I can't help but go to chapter six of the 416 00:22:01,410 --> 00:22:05,650 S6: book where I point this out that Jesus in the 417 00:22:05,650 --> 00:22:13,530 S6: Garden of Gethsemane, in Mark chapter 14, three times he says, father, 418 00:22:13,530 --> 00:22:18,450 S6: all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. 419 00:22:19,490 --> 00:22:25,240 S6: What if Jesus prayer would have been answered? you and 420 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,480 S6: I would not be redeemed. I mean, this is so sobering. 421 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:33,080 S6: When I was typing this out on the computer, I 422 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,119 S6: left the computer and got on the floor with my 423 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:39,720 S6: face toward the Lord, thanking him that the cup was 424 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:42,880 S6: not taken from him. So one of the things I 425 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,240 S6: want to emphasize to everyone listening today is this that 426 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:50,240 S6: if your prayers are unanswered, God may be doing many, 427 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:56,719 S6: much greater things through an unanswered prayer than he does 428 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,080 S6: a prayer that is answered in the way in which 429 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,920 S6: we prayed it. So at the end of the day, 430 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,240 S6: we pray for our needs. We commit them to the Lord. 431 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,960 S6: And at the same time, what does Paul say? Be 432 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:14,560 S6: anxious for nothing. In everything by prayer and supplication let 433 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:17,600 S6: our requests be made known unto God. And the peace 434 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:22,119 S6: of God which passes all understanding will be ours through 435 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,440 S6: Jesus Christ. So Paul isn't saying there you're always going 436 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,480 S6: to get what you want. He's saying that there's going 437 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,439 S6: to be a substitute. And since you referred to it, Janet, 438 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,600 S6: Paul's thorn in the flesh. God wasn't just callously saying no. 439 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,960 S6: He said, I am going to give you a substitute. 440 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,400 S6: And that is I'm going to give you grace to 441 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:46,399 S6: bear it. And the Apostle Paul said these remarkable words, 442 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:52,679 S6: more gladly will I therefore rather glory in my infirmities, 443 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:55,919 S6: that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Paul 444 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:58,680 S6: is saying, if this is what it takes for me 445 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:02,200 S6: to have the power of Christ upon me, I'll bear 446 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:03,000 S6: the thorn. 447 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:04,119 S3: Wow. 448 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:08,200 S1: And that example, Doctor Lutzer exactly is what you talk 449 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,760 S1: about when you're referring to God's hidden purposes. God didn't 450 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,600 S1: not answer. That's a double negative. Forgive me for that. 451 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:17,160 S1: He wasn't ignoring. He wasn't silent. He wasn't the God 452 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,680 S1: who was not there. He had his purposes. This is 453 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:23,360 S1: why so much of our prayer life is predicated on 454 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:27,560 S1: knowing the character of God and being able to trust him. Nevertheless, Lord, 455 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:31,080 S1: not my will, but yours. Doctor Erwin Lutzer is with us. 456 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:32,640 S1: I want to linger in the garden. That was one 457 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:34,560 S1: of my favorite chapters in the book. When we get back, 458 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:53,399 S1: I have more questions. Stick around. Tired of the endless, 459 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:56,080 S1: biased spin you hear on mainstream media and in the market, 460 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:58,160 S1: we're using God's Word as our guide as we examine 461 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:00,320 S1: today's events, and we want you to be informed and 462 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,080 S1: bold about his truth. This is a listener supported program, 463 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:04,680 S1: so if you value what you hear and you want 464 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,040 S1: us to continue on your station, become a partial partner 465 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:13,080 S1: with your monthly support, call 877. 58. That's eight 7758 466 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:16,080 S1: or go online to in the market with Janet Parshall. 467 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,879 S1: What a privilege to spend the hour with Doctor Erwin Lutzer. 468 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,879 S1: He is pastor emeritus of Moody Church in Chicago. He 469 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:28,200 S1: was pastor there for 36 years, but the Lord has 470 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:30,920 S1: certainly got him bearing much fruit in this season of 471 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:33,560 S1: his life. He still holds multiple radio programs and thousands 472 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:36,320 S1: of channels across the country. He travels. He gives some 473 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,560 S1: fabulous tours, by the way. In fact, Doctor Lutzer, I 474 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:41,600 S1: understand that you're going to be doing one with Gary 475 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:44,000 S1: Hamrick and with Frank Turek, and you're taking a little 476 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,119 S1: cruise to Alaska, and it's going to be about apologetics. Oh, 477 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:49,640 S1: to be on that cruise with you. That sounds absolutely fabulous, 478 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,280 S1: by the way. But he joins us today as the 479 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,200 S1: author of a brand new book called Why Doesn't God 480 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:56,359 S1: Answer My Prayers? And I want to go to the 481 00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,920 S1: chapter you referenced before, because this I had to stop 482 00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:01,720 S1: because there are times when I was reading it where, 483 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,360 S1: like you, Doctor Lutzer, it took my breath away. And 484 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:06,520 S1: you take the time. And I'm glad you did, to 485 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,760 S1: describe what the cup means. And when you fully comprehend 486 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,320 S1: what the cup is and you describe this beautifully in 487 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:17,600 S1: the book, you understand the profundity when he prays. If 488 00:26:17,670 --> 00:26:20,550 S1: it be your will, take this cup from me. Explain 489 00:26:20,550 --> 00:26:22,830 S1: to our friends what that means when he's talking about 490 00:26:22,830 --> 00:26:23,510 S1: the cup. 491 00:26:24,790 --> 00:26:27,350 S6: The cup, of course, is the cup of God's wrath 492 00:26:27,390 --> 00:26:33,510 S6: against sin. It is. It is taking hell which is forever. 493 00:26:34,070 --> 00:26:38,790 S6: And compressing it into the three hours of darkness when 494 00:26:38,790 --> 00:26:41,910 S6: Jesus was on the cross during that time of darkness, 495 00:26:42,310 --> 00:26:45,950 S6: and he was, his fellowship with the father was broken, 496 00:26:46,109 --> 00:26:49,910 S6: it doesn't mean that the Trinity somehow broke apart, but 497 00:26:50,109 --> 00:26:54,030 S6: there's a lot of mystery there. But Jesus said, My God, 498 00:26:54,030 --> 00:26:59,949 S6: my God, why hast thou forsaken? Forsaken me? But Janet, 499 00:27:00,630 --> 00:27:04,350 S6: if people were to latch on to this one idea, 500 00:27:04,869 --> 00:27:11,830 S6: it could be transforming. Just think this Jesus speaking a 501 00:27:11,830 --> 00:27:15,070 S6: little later because the disciples forsook him, by the way, 502 00:27:15,070 --> 00:27:19,510 S6: and I point out that Prayerless disciples end up being 503 00:27:19,750 --> 00:27:23,510 S6: backslidden disciples, and that has huge implications. But here's the 504 00:27:23,510 --> 00:27:30,950 S6: thing Jesus says to Peter, the cup which my father 505 00:27:30,950 --> 00:27:35,310 S6: has given me, shall I not drink it? Jesus didn't 506 00:27:35,310 --> 00:27:37,590 S6: say the cup that Judas gave me. Shall I not 507 00:27:37,590 --> 00:27:40,710 S6: drink it? The cup that the Sanhedrin given me, the 508 00:27:40,990 --> 00:27:45,910 S6: the cup that Pilate gave me. Shall I not drink it? No. 509 00:27:46,990 --> 00:27:51,830 S6: Jesus saw past all of the evil. He saw past 510 00:27:51,830 --> 00:27:56,390 S6: all of that, and knew that God was using this 511 00:27:56,390 --> 00:28:01,230 S6: evil to bring about his will. So he accepted the 512 00:28:01,230 --> 00:28:04,830 S6: cup from the hand of the father. I can't help 513 00:28:04,830 --> 00:28:09,149 S6: but think that today we're speaking to someone and they're saying, 514 00:28:09,350 --> 00:28:13,190 S6: I have someone who wants to crucify me. I have 515 00:28:13,190 --> 00:28:16,910 S6: somebody who wants to do me in. If they can 516 00:28:16,910 --> 00:28:20,710 S6: look beyond this and see the will of God and say, Lord, 517 00:28:20,710 --> 00:28:24,109 S6: I receive this cup from your hand, even though an 518 00:28:24,109 --> 00:28:28,510 S6: evil hand may be the immediate cause, we have to 519 00:28:28,710 --> 00:28:32,550 S6: have such a great view of God that we say, 520 00:28:32,550 --> 00:28:38,790 S6: even here I receive the cup from your hand, and 521 00:28:38,790 --> 00:28:41,750 S6: that makes all the difference in the world. It enables 522 00:28:41,750 --> 00:28:45,550 S6: you to give up bitterness, to lay it down for 523 00:28:45,550 --> 00:28:50,150 S6: those who are perhaps opposed to you, or doing things 524 00:28:50,190 --> 00:28:54,430 S6: even lying about you, if it comes from the father. 525 00:28:54,990 --> 00:28:57,630 S6: You say, then, father, I need the grace to bear it. 526 00:28:57,630 --> 00:29:01,150 S6: And isn't it wonderful, Janet, that even though Jesus prayed 527 00:29:01,150 --> 00:29:04,430 S6: three times that the cup be removed, that at the 528 00:29:04,430 --> 00:29:09,630 S6: end of the day I love that word nevertheless? Nevertheless 529 00:29:10,150 --> 00:29:13,580 S6: I bow to your will. Thy will be done. I 530 00:29:13,580 --> 00:29:17,020 S6: will drink the cup and thank God that he did. 531 00:29:18,180 --> 00:29:20,660 S1: You make the statement. And I think this was so 532 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:24,220 S1: eye opening to the entire thesis of the book. Our 533 00:29:24,220 --> 00:29:28,100 S1: redemption is founded on an unanswered prayer. I mean, if 534 00:29:28,100 --> 00:29:30,500 S1: God had answered that prayer, then what would have happened? 535 00:29:30,540 --> 00:29:33,780 S1: How would there have been that final and complete sacrifice? 536 00:29:33,780 --> 00:29:36,540 S1: How would there have been the remission of my sins? 537 00:29:36,540 --> 00:29:38,940 S1: How without the shedding of blood there is no remission 538 00:29:38,940 --> 00:29:40,540 S1: of sin? So then what would have happened? I mean, 539 00:29:40,540 --> 00:29:43,820 S1: it just creates this cascade of what ifs. If he 540 00:29:43,820 --> 00:29:46,540 S1: had had that cup passed from him. So to think 541 00:29:46,540 --> 00:29:49,140 S1: about it and it really, is it an unanswered prayer 542 00:29:49,140 --> 00:29:51,300 S1: or is it just an answer to a prayer? But 543 00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:53,820 S1: it was an answer we didn't want. It was something else, 544 00:29:53,820 --> 00:29:56,500 S1: and it was part of God's purposes rather than ours. 545 00:29:56,500 --> 00:29:59,740 S1: In other words, do I want my petition answered and filled, 546 00:29:59,740 --> 00:30:01,660 S1: or do I want his purposes played out? 547 00:30:02,660 --> 00:30:05,580 S6: Yes, you've said it very well, actually. And of course, 548 00:30:05,580 --> 00:30:09,100 S6: we know that Jesus came to this earth in order 549 00:30:09,100 --> 00:30:11,900 S6: to drink the cup. That was the major reason why 550 00:30:11,900 --> 00:30:15,740 S6: he came. But at the same time, in his humanity, 551 00:30:16,140 --> 00:30:21,220 S6: as he faced the horror that awaited him, he prayed 552 00:30:21,220 --> 00:30:26,340 S6: as he did remove this cup. And yet, thankfully, if 553 00:30:26,340 --> 00:30:28,460 S6: the cup were removed, of course you and I would 554 00:30:28,460 --> 00:30:32,820 S6: be unredeemed, because one of the things that, uh, in 555 00:30:32,820 --> 00:30:36,380 S6: university today, you take a course in religion, they will 556 00:30:36,380 --> 00:30:40,580 S6: tell you all religions demand blood. Christianity is the same. 557 00:30:40,620 --> 00:30:44,420 S6: You know, without the sacrifice of blood, there's no remission 558 00:30:44,420 --> 00:30:51,580 S6: of sins. But in Christianity, what's unique is God becomes 559 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:56,140 S6: the sacrifice. There's no other religion out there like that. 560 00:30:56,460 --> 00:31:02,340 S6: God demands perfection. And then through Christ, God supplies the 561 00:31:02,340 --> 00:31:06,660 S6: perfection that he demands. And he does it through the 562 00:31:06,660 --> 00:31:12,100 S6: death of Jesus Christ. And that cup, and I shudder. Yeah. 563 00:31:12,140 --> 00:31:13,940 S6: If God had answered that prayer. 564 00:31:14,460 --> 00:31:16,140 S1: Do you know I underlined that part of the book, 565 00:31:16,140 --> 00:31:19,260 S1: Doctor Lutzer. That's how impactful it was for me. That Christianity, 566 00:31:19,260 --> 00:31:21,100 S1: you write, is no different than any other religion. The 567 00:31:21,100 --> 00:31:24,140 S1: gods of other religions also demand a blood sacrifice, such 568 00:31:24,140 --> 00:31:26,500 S1: as the blood of an animal. True enough, and this 569 00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:30,380 S1: is critical. You're right. Only in Christianity does God become 570 00:31:30,380 --> 00:31:33,860 S1: the sacrifice. Now here again is this interesting juxtaposition. So 571 00:31:33,860 --> 00:31:36,780 S1: the cup is the wrath of God that was poured out. 572 00:31:36,820 --> 00:31:39,740 S1: I mean, and isn't it interesting that now substitutionary atonement 573 00:31:39,740 --> 00:31:42,580 S1: is actually a flashpoint in some churches that people just 574 00:31:42,580 --> 00:31:45,260 S1: don't want to deal with the wrath of God? Well, 575 00:31:45,260 --> 00:31:48,540 S1: it had to be satisfied. And so the wrath is 576 00:31:48,540 --> 00:31:51,140 S1: also at the same time, the manifestation of his love 577 00:31:51,140 --> 00:31:54,340 S1: for us, is it not? If God becomes the sacrifice 578 00:31:54,340 --> 00:31:57,020 S1: and no other religion in the world puts out that idea, 579 00:31:57,020 --> 00:31:59,300 S1: doesn't that say something about God's love for us if 580 00:31:59,300 --> 00:32:02,140 S1: he himself is willing to become the sacrifice? 581 00:32:03,140 --> 00:32:06,260 S6: You know, Janet, I thought about these things for many years, 582 00:32:06,260 --> 00:32:08,610 S6: and I have to say this is. God is a 583 00:32:08,610 --> 00:32:12,370 S6: very complex being. On the one hand, the wrath of 584 00:32:12,370 --> 00:32:15,770 S6: God might just read the book of revelation. On the 585 00:32:15,770 --> 00:32:19,170 S6: other hand, God is love. And so what you see 586 00:32:19,210 --> 00:32:23,450 S6: in God, and it all meets at the cross. Where 587 00:32:23,450 --> 00:32:27,530 S6: was the greatest injustice done? At the cross? Where do 588 00:32:27,530 --> 00:32:31,930 S6: we see the greatest love? At the cross? So the 589 00:32:31,930 --> 00:32:35,450 S6: point is that God, on the one hand, a God 590 00:32:35,450 --> 00:32:39,970 S6: of wrath against sin, but also a Redeemer. And since 591 00:32:39,970 --> 00:32:42,530 S6: we're on the topic of unanswered prayer, I want to 592 00:32:42,530 --> 00:32:45,090 S6: say this to all the listeners, to those who have 593 00:32:45,090 --> 00:32:49,090 S6: never believed on Jesus Christ as their Savior. That's one 594 00:32:49,090 --> 00:32:53,250 S6: promise that we find over and over again in the 595 00:32:53,250 --> 00:32:56,850 S6: Bible that you can count on. And that is this, 596 00:32:56,850 --> 00:32:59,490 S6: that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall 597 00:32:59,490 --> 00:33:03,610 S6: be saved. And as many as received him, to those 598 00:33:03,610 --> 00:33:06,730 S6: he gives the authority to become the children of God, 599 00:33:06,770 --> 00:33:09,890 S6: even to those who believe on his name. So there 600 00:33:09,930 --> 00:33:14,890 S6: are some promises that we know he always answers. But 601 00:33:14,890 --> 00:33:17,730 S6: of course, the focus of my book is what about 602 00:33:17,730 --> 00:33:21,410 S6: those unanswered prayers? You know, there's something else I have 603 00:33:21,410 --> 00:33:23,930 S6: to say very quickly, and that is that in the 604 00:33:23,930 --> 00:33:26,730 S6: 11th chapter of Hebrews. And I think this is in 605 00:33:26,730 --> 00:33:29,810 S6: a different chapter in the 11th chapter of Hebrews, you 606 00:33:29,810 --> 00:33:34,850 S6: have all those miracles crossing the Red sea, Daniel, closing 607 00:33:34,850 --> 00:33:38,090 S6: the mouths of lions and all. And then in verse 35, 608 00:33:38,130 --> 00:33:42,970 S6: you have a break. And others and others, they were 609 00:33:42,970 --> 00:33:49,690 S6: hunted down. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, 610 00:33:49,690 --> 00:33:53,970 S6: and no miracles. Let me say this with a great 611 00:33:53,970 --> 00:33:58,770 S6: deal of compassion and hope. You don't have to see 612 00:33:58,810 --> 00:34:04,810 S6: a miracle in order to be in God's chapter of 613 00:34:04,890 --> 00:34:09,490 S6: faith and heroes. You have two groups of people. Some 614 00:34:09,530 --> 00:34:13,529 S6: saw the miracles, some didn't. Both of them made the 615 00:34:13,530 --> 00:34:18,250 S6: 11th chapter of Hebrews because they kept on believing, even 616 00:34:18,250 --> 00:34:20,009 S6: though they didn't see a miracle. 617 00:34:21,410 --> 00:34:23,650 S1: Well, this is why. Is it not right to say 618 00:34:23,650 --> 00:34:26,890 S1: that this whole idea of thinking that God doesn't answer 619 00:34:26,890 --> 00:34:29,810 S1: our prayers is bound up in the concept of who 620 00:34:29,850 --> 00:34:33,129 S1: you think God is? If I trust him completely, even 621 00:34:33,130 --> 00:34:34,890 S1: if I don't get the answer to the prayer that 622 00:34:34,890 --> 00:34:38,370 S1: I want, I can pause and say, well, it's already 623 00:34:38,370 --> 00:34:40,489 S1: been vetted in the throne room of heaven. What God 624 00:34:40,489 --> 00:34:43,049 S1: is going to do is going to be for his purposes. 625 00:34:43,050 --> 00:34:46,290 S1: I want what he wants because he loves me, and 626 00:34:46,290 --> 00:34:48,210 S1: I know that he has plans for me that are 627 00:34:48,210 --> 00:34:51,730 S1: going to be for my benefit, for my blessing, ultimately 628 00:34:51,730 --> 00:34:54,210 S1: to bring honor and glory to him. You can't talk 629 00:34:54,210 --> 00:34:57,049 S1: about prayer. I don't think without understanding the character of God. 630 00:34:57,050 --> 00:34:58,290 S1: Am I right or wrong on that? 631 00:34:58,810 --> 00:35:02,890 S6: Oh, Janet, you have actually said it very beautifully that 632 00:35:02,890 --> 00:35:06,880 S6: if there isn't an answer to prayer that we want, 633 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:10,320 S6: there's a different answer. You know, I, I just was 634 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:15,360 S6: blown away by Habakkuk. Here he is, a prophet. He's 635 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:19,320 S6: calling on God to do something. Look at the violence. 636 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,000 S6: And then he hears from God. And God says, you know, 637 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:25,000 S6: I am doing something. I'm going to bring the Babylonians 638 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:30,120 S6: against you and to destroy your country. Well, thank you very, 639 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:34,440 S6: very much. And then he has this dialogue with God. 640 00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,480 S6: And then at the end of the book, even though 641 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,279 S6: he knows now that the Babylonians are coming, and his 642 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,200 S6: prayer certainly was not answered the way he prayed it. 643 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:47,280 S6: What does he say, though the fig tree will not 644 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:51,480 S6: bear fruit. Though there be no cattle in the stalls. 645 00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:55,080 S6: And he goes on and talks about all of the 646 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:59,200 S6: things that you need to live, though all that disappears. 647 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:03,680 S6: Yet I will rejoice in God my Savior. He didn't 648 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:07,239 S6: get the prayer that he wanted to have answered. It 649 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:11,600 S6: wasn't answered. But God says Habakkuk, I've not forgotten my 650 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:13,960 S6: people in the midst of what I'm going to do. 651 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:17,720 S6: You have to trust me, and you can rejoice when 652 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:20,279 S6: everything around you falls apart. 653 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:24,560 S1: Mm. Such encouragement in the book. Why doesn't God answer 654 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:27,000 S1: my prayers? I hope you will get a copy of this. 655 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:29,680 S1: And by the way, I say this often, particularly books 656 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:31,919 S1: that are impactful for me and mine is dog eared 657 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,160 S1: and underlined and footnoted. There is so much more in 658 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:36,920 S1: this book that even the gift of one hour of 659 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:40,640 S1: Doctor Luther's time affords us, we cannot possibly cover. I 660 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,560 S1: just want you to start thinking deeply, critically, and biblically 661 00:36:43,560 --> 00:36:46,160 S1: about prayer. Get a copy of this book back after this. 662 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:56,120 S1: Why doesn't God answer my prayers? A Biblical Guide to 663 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:58,560 S1: God's Hidden Purposes. It is the brand new book by 664 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:02,120 S1: Doctor Erwin Lutzer, pastor emeritus of the Moody Church. He 665 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:05,719 S1: was senior pastor there for 36 years. He is still 666 00:37:05,719 --> 00:37:08,840 S1: very much still bearing fruits in the season of his life, 667 00:37:08,840 --> 00:37:12,160 S1: hosting radio programs, taking tours, writing books and we are 668 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:15,120 S1: the better for it. I, I want to talk about 669 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:17,120 S1: one of the chapters that you wrote about, when the 670 00:37:17,120 --> 00:37:19,279 S1: answer is yes, but it's not what you expected. I 671 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:21,279 S1: was thinking the entire time I was reading this book, 672 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:23,640 S1: and I had to stop and say out loud, Lord, 673 00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:26,640 S1: thank you so many times for not answering prayers that 674 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:28,680 S1: I prayed. I look and maybe you just have to 675 00:37:28,719 --> 00:37:30,879 S1: walk with the Lord long enough, and you look back 676 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:32,880 S1: in your life and you think, oh, it would have 677 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:34,719 S1: been horrible if what I had prayed for the Lord 678 00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:37,560 S1: had given me. So there's something there again, about learning 679 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:39,960 S1: to trust the heart of God, even if you can't 680 00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:42,839 S1: see his hand. And an unanswered prayer just might be 681 00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:44,759 S1: the very best thing in the world that could happen 682 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:48,400 S1: to us. But that requires our growing in understanding of 683 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:51,160 S1: who God is and deepening our trust in him, does 684 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:51,720 S1: it not? 685 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:56,120 S6: You know, the other day someone texted me and said that, uh, 686 00:37:56,120 --> 00:38:00,110 S6: their son in law wanted to run for Congress, but 687 00:38:00,110 --> 00:38:03,510 S6: they are very disappointed because they weren't able to. ET cetera. 688 00:38:03,510 --> 00:38:06,070 S6: ET cetera. And I wrote back and said, you have 689 00:38:06,070 --> 00:38:10,669 S6: no idea what God may have spared your son in 690 00:38:10,670 --> 00:38:14,550 S6: law from. And so what we have to do is, 691 00:38:14,790 --> 00:38:19,509 S6: I always say God can see around corners and we can't. 692 00:38:20,070 --> 00:38:23,509 S6: But this chapter I think that you're referring to is Abraham. 693 00:38:23,550 --> 00:38:24,710 S6: This is fascinating. 694 00:38:24,750 --> 00:38:25,470 S1: You know, he. 695 00:38:25,710 --> 00:38:28,910 S6: He bargains with God not not really bargains because he 696 00:38:28,910 --> 00:38:34,030 S6: has nothing to bargain with. But he goes through with 697 00:38:34,030 --> 00:38:36,750 S6: God and says, if there are 50 righteous, would you 698 00:38:36,790 --> 00:38:41,310 S6: destroy Sodom? God says no. And then, um, uh, you know, 699 00:38:41,350 --> 00:38:44,830 S6: he says, what about 40? What about 30? What about ten? 700 00:38:45,310 --> 00:38:50,189 S6: And finally it ends there. And Abraham's desire is that 701 00:38:50,190 --> 00:38:55,430 S6: lot and his family be spared. And so Abraham goes 702 00:38:55,430 --> 00:38:59,230 S6: home that night after bringing the number down to ten. 703 00:38:59,590 --> 00:39:01,509 S6: And I'm sure that he said to Sarah, you know, 704 00:39:01,550 --> 00:39:04,710 S6: I just spared Sodom and Gomorrah because surely there are 705 00:39:04,710 --> 00:39:08,630 S6: ten righteous there. There's lot. There's his daughters, his sons, 706 00:39:08,670 --> 00:39:14,430 S6: his sons in law, his other, uh, there may have 707 00:39:14,430 --> 00:39:18,070 S6: been Christian or we wouldn't say Christian in the Old Testament, 708 00:39:18,070 --> 00:39:22,790 S6: but believers. But he goes out in the morning and 709 00:39:22,790 --> 00:39:26,669 S6: Sodom and Gomorrah are burning. So he's saying to himself, 710 00:39:27,270 --> 00:39:29,629 S6: I didn't get an answer to my prayer. But what 711 00:39:29,630 --> 00:39:33,830 S6: he didn't realize is that God did answer his prayer, 712 00:39:34,070 --> 00:39:38,549 S6: his heart, by rescuing lot and taking him out of 713 00:39:38,550 --> 00:39:41,509 S6: the city. Now, the rest of lot's story is very dark, 714 00:39:41,790 --> 00:39:47,149 S6: but the point is that God answered Abraham's prayers. But 715 00:39:47,190 --> 00:39:49,830 S6: it wasn't in the way in which he thought God 716 00:39:49,830 --> 00:39:53,630 S6: was going to answer his prayers. So there are times 717 00:39:53,630 --> 00:39:56,790 S6: when we don't get the answer that we want, but 718 00:39:56,790 --> 00:40:00,589 S6: we get the answer that God wants. It's a different answer, 719 00:40:00,790 --> 00:40:02,430 S6: but it is still an answer. 720 00:40:04,430 --> 00:40:07,590 S1: Should we be prepared going to that point? Because it's 721 00:40:07,630 --> 00:40:09,509 S1: I love the story, and I love the way you 722 00:40:09,510 --> 00:40:12,150 S1: point out that he got a very unexpected response to 723 00:40:12,190 --> 00:40:15,750 S1: his prayer. How do I learn in my prayer life 724 00:40:15,750 --> 00:40:18,230 S1: as I'm maturing in him? How do I learn to 725 00:40:18,510 --> 00:40:21,989 S1: not only surrender totally because I want his purposes in 726 00:40:21,989 --> 00:40:24,029 S1: my life, not my purposes? In fact, you make the 727 00:40:24,030 --> 00:40:26,990 S1: point you will become quickly disappointed. You're right with prayer. 728 00:40:27,190 --> 00:40:29,670 S1: If you presume that its first purpose is getting you 729 00:40:29,710 --> 00:40:31,870 S1: what you need or want. How many of us as 730 00:40:31,870 --> 00:40:34,149 S1: believers think that's what the purpose of prayer is? I 731 00:40:34,190 --> 00:40:36,190 S1: can boldly approach the throne of grace so I can 732 00:40:36,190 --> 00:40:40,390 S1: tell you, Lord, what I need. Wrong approach. Totally wrong approach. 733 00:40:40,550 --> 00:40:42,750 S1: How do I learn to become sensitive and discerning to 734 00:40:42,750 --> 00:40:46,550 S1: the unexpected? Answer and recognize it as such? The answer 735 00:40:46,550 --> 00:40:47,870 S1: that God wanted for me. 736 00:40:48,989 --> 00:40:51,589 S6: I can give you an answer immediately, but I want 737 00:40:51,630 --> 00:40:54,739 S6: to say this that there are many people as you described, 738 00:40:54,940 --> 00:40:58,379 S6: who view prayer as I do, an oxygen mask on 739 00:40:58,380 --> 00:41:02,020 S6: a plane. I'm glad that it's there. Only once did 740 00:41:02,020 --> 00:41:04,100 S6: I have to use it, and that's when we were 741 00:41:04,100 --> 00:41:07,380 S6: flying overseas. I won't tell you which country we were in, 742 00:41:07,739 --> 00:41:11,140 S6: but the point is, we're just glad it's there. And 743 00:41:11,140 --> 00:41:13,339 S6: that's the way God is. I have a need. Oh, 744 00:41:13,380 --> 00:41:16,180 S6: I'm going to pray. But here's the thing. And here's 745 00:41:16,180 --> 00:41:20,540 S6: an answer to your question, Janet. Go through the prayers 746 00:41:20,540 --> 00:41:25,900 S6: of Paul and pray them. And what you will discover 747 00:41:26,300 --> 00:41:31,940 S6: is that Paul never prays for healing. That I know 748 00:41:31,980 --> 00:41:36,500 S6: of what he does is he always prays that we 749 00:41:36,500 --> 00:41:41,300 S6: might understand God and what Jesus Christ has done for 750 00:41:41,300 --> 00:41:46,660 S6: us much better. You know, the Apostle Paul prays, Ephesians, 751 00:41:46,660 --> 00:41:49,580 S6: the eyes of your heart being enlightened, that you might 752 00:41:49,580 --> 00:41:52,060 S6: know what is the hope of your calling and all 753 00:41:52,260 --> 00:41:55,460 S6: of the blessings of the inheritance of the saints, and 754 00:41:55,500 --> 00:42:00,620 S6: he is constantly pointing us beyond our immediate needs. And 755 00:42:00,620 --> 00:42:03,380 S6: it's not wrong, of course, to pray for our immediate needs. 756 00:42:03,380 --> 00:42:06,939 S6: We all do that. But he keeps pointing to the 757 00:42:06,940 --> 00:42:11,540 S6: kingdom purposes that God has, and that's the way in 758 00:42:11,540 --> 00:42:15,780 S6: which he prays. So go through look at the prayers, 759 00:42:15,780 --> 00:42:18,420 S6: the two great prayers in Ephesians. Look at the way 760 00:42:18,420 --> 00:42:22,380 S6: in which he prays in the book of Philippians, and 761 00:42:22,380 --> 00:42:25,979 S6: you will understand. He really does help us to pray. 762 00:42:25,980 --> 00:42:28,980 S6: In fact, I'm looking at this one now that I 763 00:42:29,300 --> 00:42:33,940 S6: know by memory, but I have to begin it here. 764 00:42:33,980 --> 00:42:36,060 S6: Look at look at this prayer. I pray this often 765 00:42:36,060 --> 00:42:39,660 S6: for my children, and it is my prayer that your 766 00:42:39,660 --> 00:42:42,459 S6: love may abound yet more and more with knowledge and 767 00:42:42,460 --> 00:42:45,900 S6: all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent. 768 00:42:45,900 --> 00:42:49,180 S6: And so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 769 00:42:49,180 --> 00:42:52,580 S6: filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus 770 00:42:52,580 --> 00:42:55,819 S6: Christ to the glory and praise of God. It is 771 00:42:55,820 --> 00:42:58,140 S6: so much better to pray a prayer like that than 772 00:42:58,140 --> 00:43:01,260 S6: repeat the same prayers. God bless them, keep them, keep 773 00:43:01,260 --> 00:43:04,779 S6: them healthy. That's not wrong to pray, but we have 774 00:43:04,780 --> 00:43:09,660 S6: to get beyond the visible world to the invisible, as 775 00:43:09,660 --> 00:43:13,259 S6: Paul says elsewhere. And therefore, what we have to do 776 00:43:13,260 --> 00:43:18,100 S6: is to direct our thoughts and our prayers Godward. And 777 00:43:18,100 --> 00:43:22,620 S6: that's the real reason for prayer. And then oftentimes we 778 00:43:22,620 --> 00:43:28,299 S6: do have to say, nevertheless, I have these other prayer requests. Nevertheless, 779 00:43:28,660 --> 00:43:31,020 S6: thy will be done and we entrust it to him. 780 00:43:31,020 --> 00:43:34,940 S6: And there's a big difference between committing something to God 781 00:43:34,940 --> 00:43:39,060 S6: and constantly praying about it after you've committed it to God. 782 00:43:39,260 --> 00:43:42,780 S6: You give him praise and thanksgiving that it's in his 783 00:43:42,780 --> 00:43:44,100 S6: hands and not yours. 784 00:43:44,700 --> 00:43:49,450 S1: Amen. What a note to end this conversation on Doctor Lutzer. Wow. Again, friends, 785 00:43:49,450 --> 00:43:51,850 S1: so much more in this book that we were not 786 00:43:51,850 --> 00:43:53,529 S1: able to cover in an hour. But this isn't a 787 00:43:53,530 --> 00:43:55,770 S1: book report. This is just to get you starting to 788 00:43:55,810 --> 00:43:59,089 S1: think deeply, more deeply about the nature of God, more 789 00:43:59,090 --> 00:44:02,770 S1: deeply getting into his word and understanding prayer. Because, as 790 00:44:02,770 --> 00:44:05,690 S1: Doctor Lutzer pointed out, prayerless Christians are the ones that 791 00:44:05,690 --> 00:44:08,649 S1: start to backslide. You get cold, you walk away. You 792 00:44:08,650 --> 00:44:12,049 S1: don't know that relationship because you can't find yourself in 793 00:44:12,050 --> 00:44:14,569 S1: a place where you totally press into him and trust 794 00:44:14,570 --> 00:44:17,049 S1: him completely. So if you're in my class, you always 795 00:44:17,050 --> 00:44:19,170 S1: hear me say this about a book that impacts me personally. 796 00:44:19,170 --> 00:44:21,649 S1: This would be required reading, so check it out. It's 797 00:44:21,650 --> 00:44:24,450 S1: on our information page. It's called Why Doesn't God Answer 798 00:44:24,450 --> 00:44:26,489 S1: My Prayers? And by the way, at the end of 799 00:44:26,489 --> 00:44:30,450 S1: every chapter, there's a beautiful prayer that exemplifies a point 800 00:44:30,450 --> 00:44:32,650 S1: that's just been made in the previous chapter, and that's 801 00:44:32,650 --> 00:44:35,489 S1: going to help you learn how to pray appropriately as well. 802 00:44:35,530 --> 00:44:38,850 S1: Doctor Lutzer, thank you for a memorable and rich conversation. 803 00:44:38,850 --> 00:44:41,009 S1: And thank you, friends. We'll see you next time on 804 00:44:41,010 --> 00:44:42,810 S1: In the Market with Janet Parshall.