1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: Therefore, shall ye keep all the commandments which I command 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: you this day, that ye may be strong and go 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: in and possess the land whither ye go to possess 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: it Deuteronomy eleven eight. Dear Heavenly Father, we come to 5 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: you in humble adoration. Give us the focus and strength 6 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: to obey your commands even when it's difficult for us. 7 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: Help us to have a clear mind that is open 8 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: to your will at all times. We are thankful for 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: your grace and mercy. Thank you for believing in us 10 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: and always being available to receive our prayers when we 11 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: feel lost and confused. Grant us clarity to understand the 12 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: path you have laid out for us. We thank you. 13 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: Thank you for your guidance and protection in Jesus' name. Amen, 14 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: thank you for joining me in prayer. Stay tuned for 15 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: today's free podcast Meditative Prayers with Zach Clinton, where you 16 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: can draw close to God and find strength in him. 17 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 2: Welcome to your meditative prayer on strength and focus. To 18 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: get the most out of your spiritual journey, use pray 19 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,560 Speaker 2: dot com every day and make prayer a priority in 20 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 2: your life. Again. Our goal for today's meditative prayer is 21 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 2: all about strength and focus. So right now, let's go 22 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 2: to a place where you can relax and let your 23 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 2: guard down. Now take a few minutes to disentangle and 24 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 2: disengage from all distractions, tune out everything else. Take a 25 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 2: deep breath, exhale and repeat. And now let's ready your 26 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 2: heart and open your mind to receive what God's Holy 27 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: Spirit it has prepared for you. Today will be meditating 28 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,279 Speaker 2: on Deuteronomy chapter eleven, verse eight from the King James version. 29 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 2: Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command 30 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 2: you this day, that ye may be strong and go 31 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: in and possess the land whither ye go to possess it. 32 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 2: Right now, let's just take a moment to pour out 33 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 2: our adoration to God for his teachings. God, I praise 34 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: you for your mighty and powerful word. I worship you 35 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 2: for your wisdom and strength are found in you alone. 36 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: I praise you for correcting my character, for molding into 37 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 2: someone confident and strong. May your name be always praised, 38 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 2: for you are the great teacher. You teach in loving kindness, 39 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 2: and your rebuke refreshes my soul. Obedience to God's word 40 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 2: produces strength. Strength has been mentioned as a requirement and 41 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 2: as an a necessity of life. It also has been 42 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 2: said that true strength comes from God, which it does. 43 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:08,920 Speaker 2: But have you stopped to think of how strength is 44 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 2: acquired from God? I'm glad you asked. Let's look at 45 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 2: what the Israelites were told in the aforementioned Bible verse. 46 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: God's people found themselves with a tremendous task set before 47 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 2: them to possess their promised land. Were they instructed to 48 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 2: seek strength in prayer? Was strength automatically given? Were they 49 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 2: told strength was limited? Was there a secret handshake or something, 50 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 2: or maybe a missive that contained the answer to obtaining 51 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 2: strength and keeping it? The answer came via a general PSA. 52 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 2: The Israelites were instructed to obey God and to keep 53 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: his commandments. Then they would have this strength to possess 54 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 2: the land. A promise was made, and a way to 55 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 2: bring it to pass was revealed. A spiritual key was 56 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 2: given to awe, obey, and then receive This truth is 57 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 2: an open invitation to all who seek strength, yourself included. 58 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 2: Through obedience to God's word, you too will receive God's strength. 59 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 2: Obedience to God produces strength of character, strength of mind, 60 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 2: and strengthen your soul to overcome anything in everything this 61 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 2: world can throw at you. So this is your opportunity 62 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 2: to present yourself before the Lord. Be honest with yourself 63 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 2: and with God in prayer, and confess your sins to Him. 64 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 2: Right now now, my friends, let's consider for a moment 65 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 2: God's loving correction in your life and thank him for it. 66 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: God's love for you cannot and will not fail. His 67 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 2: care for you is eternal. So thank God for being 68 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 2: a kind and loving father, for teaching you discipline and focus. 69 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 2: Thank God for his strength that is produced within you 70 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 2: through obedience to his word. Think for a minute on 71 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 2: past experiences where you submitted to God's instruction, and thank 72 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 2: Him for his authority over your life that keeps you 73 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 2: safe and sustains you. My friends, God is present and 74 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 2: he is listening to you. Being obedient is difficult, but 75 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:20,280 Speaker 2: it can be done. God never said it would be easy. Rather, 76 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 2: he sent his Holy Spirit to correct you and love. 77 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 2: The Holy Spirit is on your side. He wants to 78 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: help you, so be bold and ask him. Ask the 79 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: Holy Spirit to help you submit to God's law and love. 80 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 2: Ask him for discipline and perseverance in your daily walk 81 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 2: with the Lord. Ask him to help you love God 82 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 2: and to want to live a righteous life. Ask the 83 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 2: Holy Spirit to help you overcome your flesh and its 84 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 2: sinful desires, and to enable you to seek God's blessings 85 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 2: and to receive his strength. Remember, obedience to God's word 86 00:05:56,200 --> 00:06:00,559 Speaker 2: produces God's strength within you. Submitting to God God's laws 87 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 2: and authority is challenging, but again it can be done. 88 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 2: Not only are you commanded to do so, you are 89 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 2: rewarded and blessed when you obey. So be encouraged. The 90 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 2: Holy Spirit is your heavenly helper. He will teach you 91 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 2: and he will guide you. So choose this day to 92 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 2: trust God, to trust in the power and promise of 93 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 2: his word, and do not forget your Father above is 94 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 2: watching over you, and he longs to bless you and 95 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 2: your life. My friends, thank you for completing today's meditative 96 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 2: prayer on pray dot com. By incorporating this healthy habit 97 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: as a daily practice, you are making prayer priority and 98 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: strengthening your walk with God. I'm Zach Clinton, Vice President 99 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:49,159 Speaker 2: of the American Association of Christian Counselors, and we love 100 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 2: being a part of your life.