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Speaker 1: Therefore, shall ye keep all the commandments which I command

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Speaker 1: you this day, that ye may be strong and go

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Speaker 1: in and possess the land whither ye go to possess

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Speaker 1: it Deuteronomy eleven eight. Dear Heavenly Father, we come to

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Speaker 1: you in humble adoration. Give us the focus and strength

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Speaker 1: to obey your commands even when it's difficult for us.

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Speaker 1: Help us to have a clear mind that is open

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Speaker 1: to your will at all times. We are thankful for

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Speaker 1: your grace and mercy. Thank you for believing in us

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Speaker 1: and always being available to receive our prayers when we

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Speaker 1: feel lost and confused. Grant us clarity to understand the

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Speaker 1: path you have laid out for us. We thank you.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for your guidance and protection in Jesus' name. Amen,

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Speaker 1: thank you for joining me in prayer. Stay tuned for

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Speaker 1: today's free podcast Meditative Prayers with Zach Clinton, where you

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Speaker 1: can draw close to God and find strength in him.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to your meditative prayer on strength and focus. To

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Speaker 2: get the most out of your spiritual journey, use pray

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Speaker 2: dot com every day and make prayer a priority in

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Speaker 2: your life. Again. Our goal for today's meditative prayer is

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Speaker 2: all about strength and focus. So right now, let's go

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Speaker 2: to a place where you can relax and let your

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Speaker 2: guard down. Now take a few minutes to disentangle and

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Speaker 2: disengage from all distractions, tune out everything else. Take a

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Speaker 2: deep breath, exhale and repeat. And now let's ready your

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Speaker 2: heart and open your mind to receive what God's Holy

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Speaker 2: Spirit it has prepared for you. Today will be meditating

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Speaker 2: on Deuteronomy chapter eleven, verse eight from the King James version.

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Speaker 2: Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command

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Speaker 2: you this day, that ye may be strong and go

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Speaker 2: in and possess the land whither ye go to possess it.

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Speaker 2: Right now, let's just take a moment to pour out

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Speaker 2: our adoration to God for his teachings. God, I praise

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Speaker 2: you for your mighty and powerful word. I worship you

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Speaker 2: for your wisdom and strength are found in you alone.

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Speaker 2: I praise you for correcting my character, for molding into

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Speaker 2: someone confident and strong. May your name be always praised,

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Speaker 2: for you are the great teacher. You teach in loving kindness,

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Speaker 2: and your rebuke refreshes my soul. Obedience to God's word

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Speaker 2: produces strength. Strength has been mentioned as a requirement and

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Speaker 2: as an a necessity of life. It also has been

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Speaker 2: said that true strength comes from God, which it does.

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Speaker 2: But have you stopped to think of how strength is

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Speaker 2: acquired from God? I'm glad you asked. Let's look at

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Speaker 2: what the Israelites were told in the aforementioned Bible verse.

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Speaker 2: God's people found themselves with a tremendous task set before

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Speaker 2: them to possess their promised land. Were they instructed to

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Speaker 2: seek strength in prayer? Was strength automatically given? Were they

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Speaker 2: told strength was limited? Was there a secret handshake or something,

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Speaker 2: or maybe a missive that contained that the answer to

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Speaker 2: obtaining strength and keeping it? The answer came via a

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Speaker 2: general PSA. The Israelites were instructed to obey God and

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Speaker 2: to keep his commandments. Then they would have this strength

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Speaker 2: to possess the land. A promise was made, and a

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Speaker 2: way to bring it to pass was revealed. A spiritual

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Speaker 2: key was given to awe, obey, and then receive This

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Speaker 2: truth is an open invitation to all who seek strength,

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Speaker 2: yourself included. Through obedience to God's word, you too will

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Speaker 2: receive God's strength. Obedience to God produce his strength of character,

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Speaker 2: strength of mind, and strengthen your soul to overcome anything

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Speaker 2: in everything this world can throw at you. So this

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Speaker 2: is your opportunity to present yourself before the Lord. Be

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Speaker 2: honest with yourself and with God in prayer, and confess

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Speaker 2: your sins to Him. Right now now, my friends, let's

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Speaker 2: consider for a moment God's loving correction in your life

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Speaker 2: and thank him for it. God's love for you cannot

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Speaker 2: and will not fail. His care for you is eternal.

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Speaker 2: So thank God for being a kind and loving father,

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Speaker 2: for teaching you discipline and focus. Thank God for his

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Speaker 2: strength that is produced within you through obedience to his word.

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Speaker 2: Think for a minute on past experiences or you submitted

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Speaker 2: to God's instruction, and thank Him for his authority over

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Speaker 2: your life that keeps you safe and sustains you. My friends,

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Speaker 2: God is present and he is listening to you. Being

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Speaker 2: obedient is difficult.

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Speaker 1: But it can be done.

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Speaker 2: God never said it would be easy. Rather, he sent

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Speaker 2: his Holy Spirit to correct you in love. The Holy

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Speaker 2: Spirit is on your side. He wants to help you,

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Speaker 2: so be bold and ask him. Ask the Holy Spirit

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Speaker 2: to help you submit to God's law and love. Ask

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Speaker 2: him for discipline and perseverance in your daily walk with

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Speaker 2: the Lord. Ask him to help you love God and

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Speaker 2: to want to live a righteous life. Ask the Holy

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Speaker 2: Spirit to help you overcome your flesh and its sinful desires,

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Speaker 2: and to enable you to seek God's blessings and to

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Speaker 2: receive his strength. Remember, obedience to God's word produces God's

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Speaker 2: strength within you. Submitting to God God's laws and authority

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Speaker 2: is challenging, but again it can be done. Not only

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Speaker 2: are you commanded to do so, you are rewarded and

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Speaker 2: blessed when you obey. So be encouraged. The Holy Spirit

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Speaker 2: is your heavenly helper. He will teach you and he

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Speaker 2: will guide you. So choose this day to trust God,

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Speaker 2: to trust in the power and promise of His word,

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Speaker 2: and do not forget your Father above is watching over you,

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Speaker 2: and he longs to bless you and your life. My friends,

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Speaker 2: thank you for completing today's meditative prayer on pray dot com.

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Speaker 2: By incorporating this healthy habit as a daily practice, you

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Speaker 2: are making prayer priority and strengthening your walk with God.

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Speaker 2: I'm Zach Clinton, Vice President of the American Association of

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Speaker 2: Christian Counselors, and we love being a part of your life.