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Speaker 1: And they departed from the mount of the Lord three

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Speaker 1: days journey, and the ark of the Covenant of the

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Speaker 1: Lord went before them in three days journey to search

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Speaker 1: out a resting place for them. Numbers ten thirty three. Lord,

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Speaker 1: I thank you that your presence goes before me everywhere

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Speaker 1: you send me. Teach me to start every day's work

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Speaker 1: with a prayer to fortify my spirit, Cause your light

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Speaker 1: to rise upon me and scatter the darkness that would

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Speaker 1: seek to block your purposes from coming forth. Thank you

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Speaker 1: for demolishing the strongholds of the enemy and preparing a

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Speaker 1: path before me. Thank you that you cause me to

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Speaker 1: rest at the appointed time and find places where I

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Speaker 1: can safely do that along the way. Thank you that

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Speaker 1: your favor is upon me and you will never leave

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Speaker 1: me or forsake me. You are with me always. Amen.

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Speaker 1: Thank you for listening to pray dot COM's nightly prayer

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Speaker 1: to experience a pocket of peace before you go to sleep.

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Speaker 1: Stay tuned for our free meditative prayer after this quick

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Speaker 1: word from our sponsors sad Welcome to your meditative prayer

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Speaker 1: on new friendships. To get the most out of your

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Speaker 1: spiritual journey, usepray dot com every day and make prayer

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Speaker 1: a priority in your life. Our goal for today's meditative

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Speaker 1: prayer is new friendships. Hit pause for a second, head

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Speaker 1: to a spot where you can settle down and be comfortable,

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Speaker 1: close your eyes and just breathe for a moment. As

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Speaker 1: you quiet your thoughts and ready your spirit to receive

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Speaker 1: from God, invite His Holy Spirit to come minister to

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Speaker 1: your heart. We will be meditating on Luke chapter five,

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Speaker 1: verses seventeen through twenty from the King James version. And

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Speaker 1: it came to pass on a certain day as he

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Speaker 1: was teaching, that there were pharisees and doctors of the

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Speaker 1: law sitting by, which were come out of every town

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Speaker 1: of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of

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Speaker 1: the Lord was present to heal them. And behold, men

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Speaker 1: brought in a bed a man which was taken with

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Speaker 1: a palsy, and they sought means to bring him in

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Speaker 1: and to lay him before him. And when they could

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Speaker 1: not find by what way they might bring him in

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Speaker 1: because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop and

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Speaker 1: let him down through the tiling with his couch into

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Speaker 1: the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith,

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Speaker 1: he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven. THEE

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Speaker 1: take a moment to pour out your adoration to God. Lord,

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Speaker 1: I praise you for your word that is edifying and encouraging. Jesus.

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Speaker 1: I worship you for your loving kindness and your grace,

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Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. I adore you for ministering this truth to

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Speaker 1: my heart. Friendship is steadfast. The Bible teaches that friendship

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Speaker 1: is a blessing, and the story above illustrates this truth

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Speaker 1: in the best possible way. In the face of opposition,

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Speaker 1: a group of men decided to remain steadfast and to

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Speaker 1: pursue the blessing of a friend. Those men refused to

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Speaker 1: give up. They relentlessly persevered in their task of finding

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Speaker 1: a way to present their friend before the Lord, and

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Speaker 1: because they did so, their friend was healed. Their action

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Speaker 1: of steadfast love and dedication changed the life of a friend.

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Speaker 1: God has called us to such friendship. He has called

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Speaker 1: us to enter into a covenant of love with one

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Speaker 1: another and to love each other at all times. He

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Speaker 1: has called us to fight for each other's victories and

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Speaker 1: to be a blessing unto others. He has called us

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Speaker 1: to change lives and to experience the joy of giving

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Speaker 1: and receiving steadfast love through friends. Perhaps you have yet

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Speaker 1: to experience this type of friendship. Perhaps you've been struggling

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Speaker 1: with having friends or with being a friend yourself. Regardless

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Speaker 1: of what your issues are, this is your opportunity to

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Speaker 1: present yourself before the Lord, confess your sins to God,

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Speaker 1: and tell him what is preventing you from experiencing this blessing.

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Speaker 1: Take just a few minutes to dwell on God's goodness.

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Speaker 1: Thank Jesus for the gift of steadfast friendship. Thank him

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Speaker 1: for the blessing of friends who will fight with you

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Speaker 1: for your victory. Thank Jesus for his grace in you

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Speaker 1: that empowers you to be a friend to others. Thank

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Speaker 1: Him for the opportunity to be a blessing and to

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Speaker 1: minister to your friends in their time of need. Is

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Speaker 1: present and he is listening to you. The Bible says,

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Speaker 1: ask and it shall be given unto you. So ask

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Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit to give you steadfast friendships. Ask him

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Speaker 1: to fill you with love and compassion for others. Ask

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Speaker 1: him for perseverance to fight beside your friends for their blessings.

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Speaker 1: Ask the Holy Spirit to also put people in your

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Speaker 1: life who will cherish you and love you people who

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Speaker 1: will fight for your victory, beside you, and who will

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Speaker 1: not give up on you. Remember, friendship is steadfast. God

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Speaker 1: wants you to experience friendship that perseveres in the face

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Speaker 1: of need, a friendship that does not give up but

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Speaker 1: rises to the occasion in the face of adversity. Friendship

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Speaker 1: that loves and intercedes, Friendship that is not shaken. So

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Speaker 1: choose this day to love others as you love yourself.

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Speaker 1: Choose to be an instrument of blessing, and watch as

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Speaker 1: God's grace is manifested in your life. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: completing today's meditative prayer on pray dot com. By incorporating

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Speaker 1: this healthy habit as a daily practice, you're making prayer

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Speaker 1: a priority and strengthening your walk with God.