Teach Us To Pray with Authority
We’re going to look at Matthew Chapter 6, verses 5 through 15 tonight, OK.
And I’m not going to get in a hurry tonight, so I’d like Mother Norsworthy when we read. I’d like you to read that for us if you would please. When we get to that point, I’ll have you.
Stop and start a couple of times and then brother Steve, if you could get Luke chapter 18 verses 9 through 14.
Available, just have that ready when we get to that, that part there, OK.
And then Mother Norsworthy, if you could get Matthew Chapter 7, verse 15.
23 ready. So we’ll have the Lord’s prayer. We’ll have this up on.
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The on the board here so Wayne Wayne can have that up there. And then if you can have that Matthew Chapter 7, verse 15.
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Through 23 available.
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I think.
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I think that’s it for tonight. Amen.
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So we’re going to kick off.
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A teaching series on prayer.
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This week and and it’s just it, just the Lord just worked it out where it’s going to go right into our 21 days of devotion.
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That we have coming up in January, if you’ve not been here before the 1st 21 days of the year, it’s our time of consecration. Pastor Tom.
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You know, everyone does whatever you know to consecrate themselves to the Lord, and years past he has. He has done a food fast for 21 days and with nothing but liquid. Some people fast a day. Maybe it’s a time where you just take more time to read, study and pray. If the bot you know, because if you take medication.
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You’re not able to possibly fast. You know food physically.
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We want to take this time to do something, to grow our relationship with the Lord. Amen. To get closer to him.
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Amen. So so this week I’m going to kick this off. And again, I’m not sure how far I’ll get into this because I know sometimes when we give so much information out, it’s just hard to to digest it and dissect it.
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And but you know.
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If you can get.
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One anytime I hear teaching anytime you guys hear teaching try to take.
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Or fancier word extrapolate.
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One key thing.
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Out of the teaching that you’re hearing, because again, I know it’s hard to to keep.
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To remember, I think what you know for you teachers out there, Sister Alicia, you might know this. How much? How? What percentage do people retain when you’re when you’re teaching something? Is it like 10%?
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Yeah, it’s like, I mean, it’s a very low percentage. So out of everything, you know, if you can grasp one or two principles from this tonight, you’re doing well, hey. Amen. But I just, I I want us to kind of have our our like we did. I think one of the last times I spoke up here.
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You know, if you have some questions, if you want to jump in and and insert. I’ve asked brother Jeff back here to help us out. So I’m going to start this off tonight. Pastor Lane, who’s watching online. He’s going to preach next week and then Pastor Steve Russ is going to come up and and.
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Teach us how to pray from the Psalms. You know this model prayer and Matthew, that we’re going to look at. This is a model prayer. I don’t think it’s exactly how Jesus is saying to say every word in the prayer. You know, I’m saying, but when we.
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Look in.
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The Psalms you can really see how to pray in there. I mean, Dave and some of these prayers, that’s in psalms.
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Are so wonderful.
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And I love it. And one of the one of the ones that comes to mind is this is I think it’s some 3 for thou, O Lord, our.
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Shield for me.
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But it says many are. They increased that trouble me. Many are they that rise up against me? Many are they that say of my soul. There is no help for them and God. Hallelujah. Isn’t that our prayers? Sometimes, sometimes.
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You feel like the psalmist many are. They increased that trouble me. There’s so many things that are troubling me and causing me problems and many are they that rise up against me? It seems like everybody in the world is against.
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And and I can imagine, you know when this was written, I I haven’t researched it, but maybe it was a time when maybe David or whoever wrote this song was surrounded by physically by an enemy, that there was no hope. You know, that’s what the enemy wants to scream. In our mind, there’s no hope for you. There is no hope for you and God, but the psalmist.
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Turns it around. That’s why I love about this. Say, when you pour your heart out in prayer to God. Sometimes, yeah. You give him your woes, but then flip that thing around. Let faith speak for a minute. But thou, O Lord, are a shield for me. Let truth speak. You’re the glory and the lifter of my head.
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Hey man, and I’m telling you, sometimes the voice that we listen to, it’s going to determine our outcome, because if, listen, it’s you don’t have to work at listening to the devil, do you? Church. It’s there constantly. Negativity is there all the time I fight it all the time. It comes natural because of our fallen.
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The man’s right.
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Amen. But somebody looked at your neighbor and.
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Say God got me.
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God got me. Hey, man. Hallelujah.
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Hey, man. See. God was speaking to you all the whole time. You didn’t even see it.
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Right in front of your face. God got me.
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Yes, yes, yes, Christmas present.
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OK, hold on, let’s get it on the microphone here. This is good. Come on, minister. Julie house.
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There’s only two voices that we’re going to hear. We’re either hearing the devil or we’re either hearing God’s voice. Somebody is. Somebody’s whispering in our ear and it’s just a matter of, you know, who we’re going to listen to. I listen to a message that.
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From Jensen Franklin, he said there you can only play on one of two teams. There’s only two teams.
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Playing. Yeah. And you’re you’re either playing for God or you’re playing for Satan. And anytime you entertain the thoughts of doubt, the the confusion when you entertain those thoughts, you are playing for the devil. I mean, it really is that simple. It’s not that. It’s not that.
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Simple to push it out but.
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When we think about the simplicity of when I do this, I am really. It’s like I’m hitting a home run for Satan. That’s what I’m doing. When I when I entertain those thoughts, then it begins to get a little bit easier to say. No, that’s not where I want to be.
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Yes, and and if.
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And brothers and sisters, I think probably because of our day and age that we live in, like, you know, we hear a lot more about mental health. You know, I’m saying, and I noticed for me that that, you know, the battle in our mind has always been there. And maybe this is just a.
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Newer way to say this I’m not sure but.
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I know if I don’t stay in the word, if I don’t stay in prayer, my mental health is not good because I will listen to the voice of the devil. I will listen to the negativity. I will hear the enemy saying you’re not going to make it. You’re going to go under. You might as well not even try because you’re.
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Going to fail.
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Hey, man. So listen, don’t make any New Year’s resolutions this year because it it’s a proven fact, I think 80 or 85%, Sister Julie, you probably know this statistic is that pretty close.
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But yeah, you’re going to fail, so just don’t even bother with it. Just say God, I’m just going to be faithful to you. Forget all this other stuff. You know I’m saying.
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And don’t take out in a negative way. I’m just saying that for fun. But anyway, it is true.
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That we make promises sometimes that we can’t keep. Amen. OK. We got a question back here.
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Now hold on a second because we can’t hear you back Internet folks.
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I have a prayer related praise report back in September, my brother-in-law and sister-in-law came in from Indiana. The night they go to a small church out in Indiana. So they had we had been raving about our church. So they came to church that Sunday morning and they saw the men line up.
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For service and and link arms and prey and like we do that every Sunday every, I mean we just do that.
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My brother-in-law had said that their church isn’t as on fire as it should be. So he went back to his church and he suggested a men’s prayer line.
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And when they came into town here for Christmas, the men still got up without him and started the prayer line before service on Sunday.
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And I asked my sister-in-law. I said, well, what are your praise reports? She’s like, they’re they’re they’re flowing just from the men getting up and praying before service.
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Hey man.
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That’s awesome.
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OK, sister, that’s a great segue into our teaching tonight. Thank you for that. See how the Lord orchestrates stuff I couldn’t have worked on that any come up with anything better?
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OK, so now before we get started tonight, I want to tell you a funny story here. There was a man, a gentleman. He had a friend, and they were talking about the Bible one day and that the the gentleman realized that his friend really didn’t know as much about the Bible as this guy was letting on. How many you got.
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Some friends like that. Maybe you work with some folks like that.
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They act like you know a lot about the Bible. So anyway, the the gentleman said to his friend. He’s like man, he’s like.
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You can’t.
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Even quote the Lord’s Prayer, you’re giving me all this baloney. You can’t even quote the Lord’s Prayer. And so the the his friend said yes, I can. And the and the gentleman said, well, I’ll give you $10 if you can quote the Lord’s Prayer.
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Right now and.
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The guy said I’m going to take.
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You up on that challenge so?
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Anyway, the guy begins, he says. Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep, and if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.
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So the gentleman that gave the challenge out, he started chuckling. He reached into his pocket and he pulled out the $10.00 bill and gave it to the guy who said, you know, more than I thought.
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Hey man.
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I love that.
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We’re not going to be that because Sister Knight, we’re Brian’s in here. Right, Sister, we get in this word, we’re going to study this.
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Word I’m not an expert. I’m not theology.
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But you know what? I have a love for God and his word. Amen. And we’re going to study it together.
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Amen. So we’re going to be talking again about prayer. And I got a couple of statements here I want to read to you before we jump.
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Into our scripture.
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There’s a a gentleman I’ve listened to, doctor Tony Evans. I’ve listened to him.
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For years, probably 30 plus years.
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When I was a young man, first married, I worked third shift. I believe his program is called the Urban Alternative.
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And I’ve listened to it on AM Radio AM 1050.
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When I be working and sometimes driving around and really.
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A little disappointing brother wasn’t Pentecostal, but other than that he he’s he’s all right. He’s a good man. He’s a great teacher. He’s a he really is. A is a biblical, I would say he’s a theologian. And anyway, so I was listening to him.
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Some some as I was studying for this and a couple things that he said I I thought were really good and I wanted to share that with you all tonight, he said prayer should not be a way to get something from God but a way.
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To spend time with God.
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Amen. That’s good. He also says that prayer is relational communication with God.
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To draw heaven into history, eternity into time, and the mechanism that God has established to do that is prayer. And I thought how awesome that is. That’s true to to think about that, that we can create, that we can communicate.
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With the God.
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Who is out time outside of space-time and matter? See all? It’s all we know is space-time and matter.
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But God was before all of that.
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He’s once said let there be light and there was light. He created the heavens and the earth. Six days Scripture says he rested on.
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The 7th day.
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And we can have a but see, I think the key of to this is what he said here. It’s that relational communication to God.
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Is that what’s make? That’s what makes a difference when we look in Luke chapter one. It’s a story of where Jesus’s disciples came up to him one day they they probably witnessed him doing all these great signs, wonders and miracles and different things like that. So I think they caught on to the the key of that because.
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He’s a, you know, he was always found. He’s going away to.
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Pray and and to get away with the father to pray and and and they realized I believe I want to say secret, but they realize that’s was the key to the Lord’s success. Was his his relationship that prayer time with the father? Amen. Because throughout Scripture you’ll hear Jesus say.
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Basically I only do what my father tells me to do.
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Right. You know, I’m only doing what I see him do. I only do what he tells me to do. And the only way to know that is to have that relationship with somebody.
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There’s people my wife knows me better than anybody in this classroom other than God because she has spent 35 years.
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Together with me so she knows how I think about certain things and she doesn’t even have to ask me. You know, if you put out a piece of strawberry cake or a piece of double fudge chocolate cake.
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If those that you don’t know me, you might think I might pick the strawberry cake.
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But I ain’t picking that when I’m going with the.
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Double chocolate.
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Fudge cake. Amen. Amen. If you put out an apple pie or a bowl of ice cream, those those of you know me knows, I’m going for the ice cream. You.
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Can have the apple pie.
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But now see others in here might think differently, right?
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But because she knows me, she doesn’t even have to ask when we go to a restaurant. Or sometimes she’ll say, hey, I’m out in Florence. I’m going to stop by whatever restaurant I’m like. Just get me whatever she knows what I want. She’s not going to order me shrimp because I don’t like shrimp. She’s not going to order me lobster tail cuz I don’t like lobster.
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I know. Help me, Lord. Jesus. Why does she know that? It’s because she has a relationship with me. She knows my likes and my dislikes. Amen. She knows what things bother me. I know what things bother her.
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Amen. Because of a relationship that we have. So I believe that that, that.
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Our prayer life.
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Is helping us to develop that relationship with God. Amen. So here we’re getting ready to read. Matthew Chapter 6 here. It’s a beautiful outline that I believe God gave us that Jesus gave us on how to pray when his disciples asked him.
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Now this really I think about this and I heard Doctor Evans speak to this too, and I that man that is so true. This really shouldn’t be called the Lord’s Prayer.
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For this reason.
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Can’t pray. Forgive me of my sins or my trespasses, because he’s sinless, right? This is a prayer for US disciples. This this really just opinion should be called the disciples prayer or the believers prayer. Amen.
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So as we look at this prayer, it’s it’s it’s divided up into two parts. The first part it’s about God. You know, our father.
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Here hallow it is your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done. Then the second part is give us it’s about us. Give us this day Our Daily Bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass. Lead us not into temptation. Deliver us from evil. Then it switches back to God. For thine is the king and the power and the glory forever and ever.
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Amen. So this prayer is it’s a prayer.
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God, it’s a prayer about us.
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Relationship. It’s relational. Do you see that?
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Amen. All right now.
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Prayer should not be I love this and informational session to inform God about what is going on.
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Because in a few minutes.
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We’re going to find out.
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That God already knows what we have need of before we even ask.
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Is that what it is?
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Yes. Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with, you know, telling God about things going on. But sometimes I think God just wants us to know, do we really want to talk to him about what is going on in our lives? Amen. Do we? Do we. And it probably getting ahead of myself. But do we pray just to get something?
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From him.
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And not want to spend time with him and really get to know him.
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Now there there’s there’s a brother in this class here. He likes to get up real early and spend some time with the Lord before he goes about his day.
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He ties his time to the Lord.
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And I thought I thought, man, that’s awesome. But you know, there’s that there’s a price you pay for that because he’s losing sleep to spend time with God.
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And that’s wonderful. Amen. That’s an inspire.
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It’s a sacrifice. Yeah. And sometimes to build a good relationship, you have to sacrifice for people. But it’s worth it, you know, because if you love somebody, you will sacrifice for them.
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For instance, if some stranger called up Josh night and say, brother, I need you to drive all the way up to tri-county and pick me up and give me a ride to church, you probably say bro, you are crazy.
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It it’s it’s an hour drive up there traffic I I probably wouldn’t make it.
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But if his if he has a brother or sister or family member that says Josh, can you come and get me? See that relationship, you’re probably going to do it because there’s a relationship connection there.
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Amen. And you’re going to.
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Be at more apt to do that because of that.
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So here’s a Kingdom key for you guys. If you’re taking notes tonight. I like this too. Just because God knows something, it doesn’t mean that he is going to act on it.
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Just because God knows something, it doesn’t mean that he is going to act on it. He knows all things, right? He’s omniscient, which is what?
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All knowing right?
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He’s omnipotent, he’s all powerful, he’s omnipresent. He’s everywhere, right?
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But just because he knows something that doesn’t mean that he’s gonna act on it. He has knowledge of everything but some things he will not act on until there is a relational communication with him about it.
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I thought, man, I had to chew on that one for a while because I really, I really like that statement.
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You know there’s.
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There’s things like, you know, growing up, raising my children.
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There’s things that I’m like if they would just come and ask me about that, I would be more than happy to jump in and help them.
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But you know, sometimes we.
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Want to do things on our own, Don?
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And sometimes, even though I knew that they had a need, I knew that they had a problem, that they had a situation. I would just sit right there and watch it. Whether that was right or wrong of me, I don’t know. But you know what I was wanting? Come to daddy. Come to father. Let Father help you because you know what? I know how to fix your problem.
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Amen. And and again, I’m not trying to throw my kids under the bus there, but I’m just using that as an example. Do I mean so?
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Do do we really have?
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That relation with God enough to say I’m going to go talk to God about this.
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You know, because he he is my friend. You know, he’s not just.
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I would hate to say Jeannie or just I want this and I go to God and he gives me that. That’s that’s not a relationship.
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You know, I’m saying that that’s that’s no kind of relationship. How would you feel? We all have people like that that’s been in our lives, right, that, you know, all they want to be your friend was to get something out of you. How does that make you feel?
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Makes you feel used, doesn’t it? Makes you feel less valued, right? And I don’t want to be that way. I I want to have that relationship with God. Let me let me challenge you this next time you pray, don’t ask for anything for yourself.
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It’s something to think about us.
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Try that, because I I’ve had to examine and all the stuff I’m teaching you. This is stuff that God’s been speaking to me. So this comes to me first. You know, before I share it with you guys and I have to chew on this and think about it for a while.
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When you stop and think about intercession.
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Let me ask you guys this where is Jesus at right now? The according to scripture where Jesus is is at.
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He’s at the right hand of.
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The father. What is he doing?
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For us, as in that something, so just imagine praying.
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To the father.
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And having such a care and concern for your brother or sister that you would put their needs above your own and pray for them.
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Before you’re, I mean, think about that. I mean, I have to examine myself about that, you know, like, God, that’s because a lot of times I think we are selfish in our prayers. At least I know I have been at times and probably AM.
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A lot of times because we want.
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What we want right, even though it seems good.
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Right, sometimes you know.
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It may not be what.
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God’s will is Amen.
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God’s God’s knowledge does not equal his action.
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And that’s something God’s knowledge does not equal his action just because he knows about something doesn’t mean he’s going to act on it.
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God knows what we have need, but he always, but he wants to know. Do we just want to?
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Spend time with him, or do we would just want to get what he.
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Can give us?
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We just came through Christmas, so I know our kids a lot of times they’re just looking.
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To us? For what?
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They can get get some present. I’m looking at Mom and Dad. Give me some presents. You know, now, before we get into the Lord’s prayer here, let’s look at a few verses to get some context. And I’m trying to do better at this, even in my personal study.
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Because sometimes it’s easy to take scriptures out of context.
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If we don’t read, you know, maybe some verses before, some verses after to kind of get the full picture, because I’ve probably done it in my years of of ministry not really realizing it and just quoting scriptures and not realizing the context. But let’s look at this mother N where they if we can do Matthew Chapter 6.
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Let’s look at verse 5 here.
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And see what the word says here. OK, go ahead and read.
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King James and new.
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King James what?
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Well, if you just read this, whatever we got up here, I.
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Don’t know what?
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That is there Wayne is that King James. You think, brother?
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King James and when thou Prest, thou shalt not be, as the hypocrites are.
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Alright, OK, stop the.
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2nd and when what and when thou what?
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The priest.
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So I think there’s an expectation there. Jesus is saying when you pray, right? So he’s expecting us to to pray, OK, go right ahead. Thou shall what?
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Thou shalt not be, as the hypocrites are.
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OK, stop right there for a second. I’ve got a note in my Bible that says the hypocrites right there.
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Those are the pretenders.
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They know that, says the hypocrites. They’re pretenders.
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And we’re going to see why here. Go ahead.
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For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
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Amen. Why? OK, so let’s look at their motive here for a second. Why are they praying?
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What does the scripture say?
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To be seen.
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Amen. I’ve I’ve run into some folks in my years that some people they just like to be loud and boisterous so people can hear them and throw a lot of these and dowels in their prayers. Nothing wrong with that if that’s how you pray sincerely. But you know, these people were praying. These hypocrites.
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These pretenders were were praying.
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To be seen that was their motive. They wanted to be approved by man. They wanted people to look upon them as look at these great high spiritual leaders that we have amongst us.
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But that was the wrong motive. OK, keep on going, sister.
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But when thou prayers, when who prays when thou so Jesus is telling his disciples. But when you pray, I don’t want you to be like these pretenders here, when you pray, here’s what you.
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Do enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father, which is in secret, and thy father which seeth.
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In secret shall reward thee openly.
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But when you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
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OK, let’s stop there for a second now again.
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These people are missing the mark here in in prayer. They’re wanting to be seen, right? They’re wanting people to look at them as look at me. I’m spiritual. Look at all the scripture I can quote.
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You know what? But let me ask you guys this maybe I’m wrong. I’m throwing out for discussion. What good is it? Quoting all the scripture? If you really don’t have a relationship with Jesus?
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You know, I mean, what good is it quoting?
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Health information. Sister Julie what good would it be quoting all this stuff about health and?
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You don’t.
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Really even practice it yourself, you have no relationship with this information that you’re.
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Nobody takes you serious.
00:27:09
So I think this is what God is saying here. I’m not even these pretender. I’m not even going to be listening to these people. They have no relationship with me.
00:27:20
OK, brother Steve, let let’s take a minute. Can you read that, Luke, Chapter 18, let’s look at this for a second here. What the scripture says about this because.
00:27:29
Again, prayer, I believe is that relational communication with God, and if we don’t have that.
00:27:36
If that isn’t.
00:27:38
You know, our main purpose is spending time with God, getting to know him, him getting to know us, because it said to go into the secret place, right. You know why you go into the secret place?
00:27:53
Say it out there I.
00:27:53
Can’t hear you.
00:27:56
Thank you. Intimacy. You know who? Who wants to stand up here and confess all of your faults and sins and past sins and?
00:28:04
Nobody wants to do that. You know, I’m saying there’s things that I want to tell God that I don’t want. Just me and him to know.
00:28:11
Right. We’ll get into that here in a little bit. OK. Pastor Steve Luke 18 Chapter 9 or sorry, Luke. Chapter 18. Verses 9 through 14.
00:28:15
See what?
00:28:23
This is Luke. Let’s look at the wrong motive.
00:28:25
And he spake this parable.
00:28:28
Under certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, yeah, and they despised others.
00:28:35
This sounds like some of the pretenders that we’re talking about here, OK?
00:28:38
Two men went up into the temple to pray. The one affair see the other Republican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank thee that I am not, as other men are. Extortioners, unjust, adulterers.
00:28:57
Or even as this publican I fast twice in the week, I give ties of all that I possess.
00:29:06
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes into heaven, but smote his breast, saying, God be merciful unto me a Sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house, justified, rather than the other, for everyone that Exalteth himself shall be abased.
00:29:26
And he that humbles himself, shall be exalted brother.
00:29:31
That that, that shows you something right there it.
00:29:33
Doesn’t it the attitude the the.
00:29:36
The the fairies, he was missing everything. You know. I’m saying he was going in.
00:29:40
His self righteousness. He wasn’t really worried about communicating with God and the the tax collector realized who he was. Amen.
00:29:50
Without God, I am nothing. I can’t even look up to.
00:29:53
The heavens without you, Lord.
00:29:56
That’s that. All right. Understanding in my self righteousness.
00:30:02
Scripture says we’re as it’s as filthy rags. You can fast two days a week. You can tithe, you can be at every church service there is. You can have a TV program, a radio broadcast, Jesus, bumper stickers all over your car. But what good is it going to do if you don’t have that relationship? Amen.
00:30:21
As far as knowing the Lord.
00:30:23
OK, let’s go back to Matthew Chapter 6. Let’s start with verse six. There again, sister, let’s go back there for a second.
00:30:31
But thou when thou praised enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father, which is in secret, and thy father, which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
00:30:46
OK, let’s stop there. So let me make a few points here. So relationship, this is where relationship begins. It’s when we are alone with the father. That is when.
00:30:56
We can share our heart.
00:30:57
With him and he can share his heart.
00:30:59
With us.
00:31:00
Wouldn’t you love to hear something that for God to really speak to you, something special?
00:31:06
Like you know.
00:31:08
Have you ever just wonder, say, Father, how how was?
00:31:11
Your day today.
00:31:13
I mean, I mean, I’ve. I was thinking about that. I was like, I’m what would God tell me, you know, like.
00:31:18
I can’t imagine him seeing everything in this world going on the the good and the bad. You know, this war and everything going on in Israel and and all over the countries, all these other countries with people not serving him and fault serving false gods and seeing the Christian, you know, church and the Christians all over the Christians.
00:31:38
Being persecuted and you know I’m there’s good. But there’s also a lot of craziness and like, what is God’s day like? You know, like that, that’s what I I would like to know sometimes. Lord, how do you feel about this?
00:31:50
You know, huh.
00:31:52
Happy birthday.
00:31:53
There you go. Yes, I I did say that at Christmas, I said Laura. I know it’s not your birthday most likely. And I said it does feel weird to say this, but happy.
00:32:02
Birthday. Thank you, Jesus, for coming to be with us. But what is Jesus’s name? What does Jesus’s name mean? He shall be called Emmanuel, which means what?
00:32:13
That’s relational.
00:32:16
He wanted to be with us. Can you imagine?
00:32:18
That sister.
00:32:23
Same as a parent that has multiple children.
00:32:27
Take one child out for a day. And what?
00:32:33
Even though they’re crazy and misbehave, you still want that one-on-one. Amen.
00:32:38
That’s your child, isn’t, yes.
00:32:41
Spend time with that child. Amen.
00:32:45
I love it, man. I love. I love this. That it. It’s hard. There’s a scripture of psalms. What is man that thou art mindful of him?
00:32:52
Right.
00:32:55
It just amazes me. It is amazing that the God of this universe.
00:32:59
Would would have anything to do with us.
00:33:03
But Scripture says he loved us so much he gave his life. He sent his only son, right, so that we could have that relationship restored. That was broken in the Garden of Eden because of sin. Amen.
00:33:16
It’s where it when we get into that secret place with the Lord, it’s where we can bear it all to him and share our struggles with him and hear what he has to say to us. Amen.
00:33:28
That’s where we can receive his peace and strength and guidance and forgiveness.
00:33:34
You know, because you know, sometimes I neglect to spend the time with him, that I that I should. You know what? It’s really hurting me more than anybody when I don’t do that, it’s hurting me. The worst. I’m hurting myself. You know, when I hold a grudge against somebody, I’m hurting myself more than I that person. It really is forgiveness, really is for our.
00:33:54
Make it does help the other person, but it’s really mostly for us. Not all of our business like we were talking about is for public discussion. There’s things only me and God need to talk about.
00:34:07
You know, there’s things that my wife, I mean like that.
00:34:11
You know, over time, you know, I hear people say I married my best friend.
00:34:15
You know, well, I can’t say that my best friend was a guy back in high school. OK, so can’t say that, but uh.
00:34:23
Over time, Brenda has become my best friend and I I can share.
00:34:28
I openly, with her probably about anything.
00:34:32
But even, but even with a a relationship to that level, God’s my relationship with God is a step above that, because there’s things that I can share with him that I can’t share with her because he’s been with me from day one. Amen. And he’ll be with me when I leave this earth. Same way with her. You know, I can only go so far in a relationship with her, but.
00:34:54
God is our ultimate, you know, he, he’s our everything. He’s. He’s the only one that really knows me. He knows me better than I know me.
00:35:05
What’s that?
00:35:12
You, Sarah said she can’t share some of the things that she’s been through with her husband, Gary, right? Because.
00:35:22
You can share it with God because he’s he’s already been through it. He’s been he’s already conquered. Amen. And that is true as.
00:35:29
You know, because we’re we’re human. I I. There’s only so much I can do.
00:35:34
For my wife, there’s only, you know. But here’s the cool thing. I’ll say this about relationship. We’ve been married 35 years.
00:35:44
I’ll still learn little things about her. I know a lot about her. She knows a lot about me. But every now and then it was funny. She said something over Christmas and our girls said something to her. Like Mom, I never knew that. You never told us that before.
00:36:01
And I’ll share a little joke. We got a little joke that we share in our family and our response is it’s not your time to know.
00:36:11
But I’ll say I’ll say this, I’ll say this.
00:36:16
This came about when I I went to this wedding. I’m like I’m leave any names out so.
00:36:21
So all the innocent parties will still be protected. But I went to this wedding and a similar situation like this happened. This father got up and he was speaking about his son and telling some history about the family, about the the gentleman that was up speaking was a father. He was talking about his grandfather, how he had migrated to a certain area and.
00:36:41
All this, and he never told his son that so his youngest son, he came up to him and he was so sincere. And I’m talking to this guy. And and my father-in-law standing here, big Tom. And I’m staying here and this little boy comes up. He’s like dad. I’ve never heard that story before. Why haven’t you told us?
00:36:58
For and that guy.
00:37:00
Serious as a heart attack, I’m thinking what’s he?
00:37:01
Going to say.
00:37:02
He’s like son. It’s not your time.
00:37:04
To know.
00:37:06
He said now it is.
00:37:08
And it was just like it was like this. Yeah. I thought like, this big spiritual, you know, God revelation. He just said, son wasn’t your time to know.
00:37:17
And tell now so I can release this to you. So that’s our little joke. It just wasn’t your time to know. Hey, man.
00:37:25
But you know, I wonder with God, it is.
00:37:28
Does he do that?
00:37:28
With us sometimes like.
00:37:30
It’s, huh. It’s not your if you spend time with me, I’ll release a little bit of that information to you.
00:37:37
But maybe right now it’s not your time to know because you’re not there.
00:37:42
Or he’s putting things in place.
00:37:45
Working behind the scenes, yes, you’re preaching Sister Donna here.
00:37:49
That’s good it.
00:37:50
And that is the truth, isn’t it?
00:37:53
Mary, it’s just OK. I just kind of covered this a little bit, but marriage can bring a certain level of intimacy that only a husband and wife can share. And sister Sarah alluded to this, but prayer goes to a deeper level of intimacy with God. Amen.
00:38:08
God is always with us 24/7 365.
00:38:12
Amen. And like I said, he was with with all of us at our.
00:38:16
Beginning and he’s going to be with us when he takes us home. Amen.
00:38:21
- So OK, go to verse 7 here. Mother nor is worthy. We may not finish this tonight.
00:38:29
But when you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
00:38:40
Their second now think about that, don’t use vain repetitions. How many religions? How many?
00:38:49
Times. Have you seen people praying the same thing over and over? That’s no relationship.
00:38:56
Is it? I mean am I? Am I thinking wrong here?
00:39:00
Right.
00:39:01
Now I’ll say this. I do pray to the Lord pretty much a very similar prayer in the mornings all the time you’re laughing, Sister Donna. What you got over here?
00:39:13
That I can hear.
00:39:13
The Lord say, why don’t you just?
00:39:15
Reword that. Reword that, put that in your own.
00:39:19
Words. Yeah, yeah.
00:39:24
That’s true, but you know.
00:39:26
That’s because when I wake up, for instance, like, I want to say thank you, Lord, for another day. You know, I’m saying I’m like, I’m. I really am appreciative. Once you get a certain age, when you start waking up in the morning, you’re thankful that you know, I was like Lord, I thank you for waking me up today. Thank you. My right.
00:39:43
My right mind, or at least I think I’m in my right mind. Maybe I’m not.
00:39:49
But I’m supposed to be. That’s right. But anyway, so I’m grateful so, but just praying. But again, the purpose behind this. Look, look at the repetition. It says they think that they shall be.
00:40:01
Heard for their much?
00:40:02
Speaking again, that’s the that’s not a relational thing, it’s it’s it’s wrong, Sister Marsha.
00:40:08
Hold on. Let me get this.
00:40:10
Mic back here, sis.
00:40:12
That’s all right. It’s important.
00:40:15
Vain, vain repetitions is and and all that that you know her shall not shall be heard for their much speaking. I think it’s just telling us that sincere prayer is what he’s after. He’s after sincerity.
00:40:32
In your heart and you know, you know, I mean, we can speak things over and over again.
00:40:38
In sincerity and it be accepted, but if it’s not spoken in sincerity, if it’s just something like a facade that we do every day.
00:40:50
But it’s not sincere. That’s when it becomes vain.
00:40:55
That’s good. Just like when you tell your kids over and over to clean their room and they don’t do it.
00:41:04
Right. We use repetition over and over, but until we really get sincere and say if you don’t clean your room, this is going to happen. Yes. Those nice pair of tennis shoes you got. I’m going. Bye bye. If we really follow through with it.
00:41:21
We really need to get to that.
