WEBVTT 00:00:15.470 --> 00:00:19.230 to just encourage you this morning as we listen 00:00:19.230 --> 00:00:23.010 to a woman of God that's a family friend. She 00:00:23.010 --> 00:00:28.050 also is very strategic and has had many prophetic 00:00:28.050 --> 00:00:30.690 words that the Lord has used her over our house 00:00:30.690 --> 00:00:32.689 and over individuals. I'm sure many of you have 00:00:32.689 --> 00:00:35.350 received from her ministry. But I want to honor 00:00:35.350 --> 00:00:38.649 Rachel. She is a voice to the nations. She is 00:00:38.649 --> 00:00:41.969 a voice to individuals. She is a voice to marriages, 00:00:42.289 --> 00:00:45.659 to couples, to children. And the Lord has really 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:48.299 put a message in her heart and really her message 00:00:48.299 --> 00:00:52.520 is a heart cry. And so as you receive from the 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:55.100 Lord through the servant Rachel today, I ask 00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:58.060 that you would open up your heart. Come on now 00:00:58.060 --> 00:01:01.719 and let's not just listen, but let's listen and 00:01:01.719 --> 00:01:05.000 receive. Let's listen and allow the word to go 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:08.719 deep within you as the deposit comes forth today. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:11.260 Amen. So let's stand and let's give it up for 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:24.290 Rachel Hickson. Yeah, well, thank you. It's always 00:01:24.290 --> 00:01:28.769 great to be here. Do be seated. Come Helen. How 00:01:28.769 --> 00:01:31.569 many of you know two are better than one? You 00:01:31.569 --> 00:01:35.790 can have much more fun. So many of you know dear 00:01:35.790 --> 00:01:38.450 Helen Azer. She's worked with me for five years 00:01:38.450 --> 00:01:42.250 now and we've traveled many many nations. She's 00:01:42.250 --> 00:01:45.450 also been a good provoker. She's helped me write 00:01:45.450 --> 00:01:48.969 books and since I moved to Oxford six years, 00:01:49.030 --> 00:01:51.950 seven years I've been writing. And many of you 00:01:51.950 --> 00:01:54.810 know them, but just quickly to say those who 00:01:54.810 --> 00:01:57.650 do work in the bookstore, the two little devotionals 00:01:57.650 --> 00:02:00.709 here, really I say these are just the word of 00:02:00.709 --> 00:02:04.269 God in little bites. It's breaking the bread 00:02:04.269 --> 00:02:07.390 so that every day you can read some truth. And 00:02:07.390 --> 00:02:10.430 we've been asked to do a whole series on prayer 00:02:10.430 --> 00:02:12.629 this weekend. And one of the things that I've 00:02:12.629 --> 00:02:14.330 done in this book is at the end of every day 00:02:14.330 --> 00:02:17.110 I've written a prayer of declaration. And many 00:02:17.110 --> 00:02:19.120 times when people write their testamies they 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.259 said I didn't know how to pray but actually reading 00:02:22.259 --> 00:02:24.419 the prayers and praying them at the end of each 00:02:24.419 --> 00:02:27.580 thing has taught me how to pray one person wrote 00:02:27.580 --> 00:02:29.659 in and said to me I didn't know that you could 00:02:29.659 --> 00:02:32.639 speak to God like that I thought it had to sound 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:35.939 more spiritual but sometimes how many we know 00:02:35.939 --> 00:02:39.219 we just need to say to God help God I feel overwhelmed 00:02:39.219 --> 00:02:42.479 God we've got to find our language and so I've 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:45.930 taken in the yellow book all our language of 00:02:45.930 --> 00:02:48.550 my identity God I don't feel so great I don't 00:02:48.550 --> 00:02:51.689 feel valuable I don't know who I am taking a 00:02:51.689 --> 00:02:54.449 verse writing a thought of revelation and then 00:02:54.449 --> 00:02:57.030 teaching you to pray scripture back into heaven 00:02:57.030 --> 00:02:59.750 so you're agreeing with heaven what God is saying 00:02:59.750 --> 00:03:02.409 and these little books have helped many the green 00:03:02.409 --> 00:03:04.770 one is much more on peace and direction God I 00:03:04.770 --> 00:03:07.169 don't know what I'm meant to do God what is my 00:03:07.169 --> 00:03:10.550 pathway of life where am I went to walk I'm feeling 00:03:10.550 --> 00:03:14.159 confused and so then little prayer guides of 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:18.219 their own and then we've also written this year 00:03:18.219 --> 00:03:21.780 with Helen really helping study guides and so 00:03:21.780 --> 00:03:24.300 many times you know we can read a book but we 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:27.139 know we want to put it into our life and activate 00:03:27.139 --> 00:03:30.500 it and so here the book on reading the Bible 00:03:30.500 --> 00:03:33.159 and then the prophetic word and this one on prayer 00:03:33.599 --> 00:03:35.919 There's just very easy resources. You can do 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.740 it one -on -one. Do it as a married couple. You 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:41.620 can find a girlfriend or a guy friend at work 00:03:41.620 --> 00:03:44.719 and just meet up one hour a week, read that chapter, 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:47.460 then begin to spur each other on. Well, how are 00:03:47.460 --> 00:03:49.259 we going to activate this? How are we going to 00:03:49.259 --> 00:03:51.520 practicalize it in our life? Because I believe 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:54.500 this is such a season to actually do what the 00:03:54.500 --> 00:03:57.620 Holy Spirit is telling us to do. How many agree 00:03:57.620 --> 00:04:00.520 with me? And then finally, the book on breakthrough 00:04:00.520 --> 00:04:03.599 is the English edition of the book Little keys 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:07.259 open big doors. So it's not a new book just in 00:04:07.259 --> 00:04:10.280 case you go to buy that one. We've sold out of 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.240 all the America stock and so we've had to ship 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:16.199 UK stock here and it's got a slightly different 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:19.439 cover just so that that's clear for you. And 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.579 you're asking is there another book coming? Yes 00:04:21.579 --> 00:04:25.079 there is. In May June time there is a new book 00:04:25.079 --> 00:04:28.899 called Run Your Race and that is my heart cry 00:04:28.899 --> 00:04:32.319 to live a passionate life sold out to God. What 00:04:32.319 --> 00:04:35.620 are the hallmarks that we have to embrace and 00:04:35.620 --> 00:04:38.060 endorse in our lives so that we can really run 00:04:38.060 --> 00:04:40.959 a race and finish looking like a champion? I 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:44.079 thought, in Olympic year, let's have some UK 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:47.139 girls finishing like champions. We'll beat the 00:04:47.139 --> 00:04:52.079 Americans. No, no, we won't go there. But Helen, 00:04:52.439 --> 00:04:54.699 why don't you come and share getting myself out 00:04:54.699 --> 00:05:01.230 of a hole? We're really excited. It's been fantastic 00:05:01.230 --> 00:05:03.110 to be here with you this weekend. But we're really 00:05:03.110 --> 00:05:04.990 excited about what the Lord's put on our heart 00:05:04.990 --> 00:05:07.350 for this evening. And we just wanted to share 00:05:07.350 --> 00:05:09.449 that with you. So if you're wondering, do I come 00:05:09.449 --> 00:05:13.259 back? Don't I come back? We're just excited that 00:05:13.259 --> 00:05:15.439 as Rachel's been teaching about prayer, this 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:17.399 evening we get to actually practice it together 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:19.579 and it's going to be an interactive session where 00:05:19.579 --> 00:05:22.180 we can really pray for some stuff and believe 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:24.259 God for some shifts in the heavenly realms. So 00:05:24.259 --> 00:05:26.759 you up for that? And so we're wanting to really 00:05:26.759 --> 00:05:28.920 share a little bit from the insight, the privilege 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:31.120 that God has given us to travel in the nations 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:33.819 and share something of what we've seen here in 00:05:33.819 --> 00:05:36.800 the USA. This is a pivotal year for you with 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:38.920 your elections coming up and we really want to 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:41.920 stand in prayer with you but also in you to stand 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:44.139 for your nation and to really commit some time 00:05:44.139 --> 00:05:46.420 this evening to pray for the USA but we then 00:05:46.420 --> 00:05:48.980 also want to look at the nations and some of 00:05:48.980 --> 00:05:50.699 you have already been asking over the coffee 00:05:50.699 --> 00:05:52.319 time and that kind of thing what's happening 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.680 in the Middle East have you got any updates from 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:57.300 Egypt from what's going on in Syria that looks 00:05:57.300 --> 00:05:59.220 like a mess but I don't really understand what's 00:05:59.220 --> 00:06:01.279 happening and we just want to give some snapshots 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:03.639 of understanding on that and Pastor Elton has 00:06:03.639 --> 00:06:05.980 already shared from Abraham today but you know 00:06:05.980 --> 00:06:08.720 it says of Abraham in Romans 4 that he faced 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:13.850 the facts but did not waver in unbelief and in 00:06:13.850 --> 00:06:17.230 his faith and he stood on the promises of the 00:06:17.230 --> 00:06:20.129 Word of God that he'd received and we believe 00:06:20.129 --> 00:06:23.370 and we firmly stand on that sense that God has 00:06:23.370 --> 00:06:27.250 promises for nations and That while we face the 00:06:27.250 --> 00:06:29.589 facts of the difficulties the shaking season 00:06:29.589 --> 00:06:35.110 We do not waver in our faith or in unbelief We 00:06:35.110 --> 00:06:37.629 face the facts, but then we acknowledge there's 00:06:37.629 --> 00:06:40.620 a truth of the Word of God and we want to share 00:06:40.620 --> 00:06:43.519 some of that and encourage you that God is at 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:45.740 work in the nations. So that's where we're going 00:06:45.740 --> 00:06:47.620 this evening and we're excited about that. We 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:50.660 hope to see you and we'll be blessed if you come 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:53.899 along. Thank you. And what I love is there's 00:06:53.899 --> 00:06:56.910 loads of power points. Thank you Helen. And you're 00:06:56.910 --> 00:06:59.129 going to see, how many would like to see a 70 00:06:59.129 --> 00:07:03.170 ,000 prayer meeting? We've got some amazing things. 00:07:03.230 --> 00:07:05.569 It's a privilege of travelling the nations. And 00:07:05.569 --> 00:07:07.290 Helen's going to do quite a bit of the sharing 00:07:07.290 --> 00:07:09.970 tonight because she just has real revelation. 00:07:10.310 --> 00:07:11.730 How many of you are wondering what's going on 00:07:11.730 --> 00:07:14.970 in Iran? What is all this deal about nuclear 00:07:14.970 --> 00:07:18.490 weapons? Well, come tonight. I tell you, because 00:07:18.490 --> 00:07:23.600 a non -profit organisation, 501c3... for HeartCry 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:26.819 for Change in the USA. And when I received that, 00:07:26.860 --> 00:07:30.100 I think it was five years ago, maybe just a little 00:07:30.100 --> 00:07:33.120 bit over five years ago, and I received the very 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:36.300 Washington State, and I opened it all up and 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:40.680 the big seal of Washington State and president 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:42.500 of HeartCry for Change, it all looks very grand. 00:07:42.699 --> 00:07:45.339 And the Holy Spirit spoke to me instantly and 00:07:45.339 --> 00:07:48.379 asked me this question, are you gonna be a taker 00:07:48.379 --> 00:07:52.279 or a giver? And I said, what do you mean Jesus? 00:07:52.579 --> 00:07:56.279 And because you see, why do we do 501c3? So that 00:07:56.279 --> 00:07:59.660 we can take in the sense so that I can legitimately, 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:03.000 according to your laws, take donations for all 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:07.319 the missions work we do into Egypt, Turkey. India 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:10.360 with the leprosy affected, just starting in South 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:14.740 Africa with a wheelchair project into the townships. 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:17.939 Many of you know I was disabled myself after 00:08:17.939 --> 00:08:21.180 a road traffic accident and I celebrate 30 years 00:08:21.180 --> 00:08:25.319 of being healed and literally raised in 2014. 00:08:27.009 --> 00:08:29.449 And God just said to me, what celebration do 00:08:29.449 --> 00:08:33.009 you want for 30 years of walking and being literally 00:08:33.009 --> 00:08:36.350 healed so that I didn't escape my funeral? And 00:08:36.350 --> 00:08:38.210 I said, I don't know, God, what should it be? 00:08:38.250 --> 00:08:40.610 He said, look for the least of the least in Africa. 00:08:41.009 --> 00:08:43.730 And so we were just in South Africa for our 30th 00:08:43.730 --> 00:08:46.210 wedding anniversary. And God is just unfolding 00:08:46.210 --> 00:08:49.250 a whole project to supply wheelchairs for thesis 00:08:49.250 --> 00:08:53.529 and other things for those injured in the incredible 00:08:54.850 --> 00:08:57.009 wars that have gone on, you know, Mozambique 00:08:57.009 --> 00:09:00.129 has had it, Angola's had it, and into the township 00:09:00.129 --> 00:09:01.909 so that they don't have to sit on their butt 00:09:01.909 --> 00:09:03.809 dragging themselves in the dirt for the rest 00:09:03.809 --> 00:09:06.090 of their life and that we can begin to do that. 00:09:06.230 --> 00:09:10.009 So God's just opened things. So I picked up that 00:09:10.009 --> 00:09:12.909 501c3 and God spoke to me, will you be a giver 00:09:12.909 --> 00:09:17.370 or a taker? And I said, I always have been a 00:09:17.370 --> 00:09:19.409 giver. And so then he asked me, well, what will 00:09:19.409 --> 00:09:22.610 you give to America? Are you just going to take 00:09:22.610 --> 00:09:24.759 the dollars and go, are you going to give? And 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:27.100 I said, I want to give. But I said, what do I 00:09:27.100 --> 00:09:32.340 give to America? To India I can give shoes for 00:09:32.340 --> 00:09:35.100 the lepers, the leprosy affected. I can give 00:09:35.100 --> 00:09:37.539 them latrines and bathrooms, dig them bore wells. 00:09:37.639 --> 00:09:40.240 I know what to do amongst leprosy affected people 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:42.840 in India. I know what to do in the townships 00:09:42.840 --> 00:09:44.519 of the disabled. What do we give to America? 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:49.139 And God asked me, and I have done this, to give 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:54.399 two weeks, twice a year. To really pray for the 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:56.639 government elections and begin to look and so 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.159 we go to Washington DC And if you know anything 00:09:59.159 --> 00:10:01.220 about Washington DC, it's not the cheapest place 00:10:01.220 --> 00:10:04.039 to go We come in we book our flights come in 00:10:04.039 --> 00:10:07.399 twice a year and go and spend some time And God 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:09.759 has just showed us different things that I believe 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:12.759 are keys for unlocking this precious nation into 00:10:12.759 --> 00:10:15.600 its destiny again And that is part of what Helen 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:17.679 and I are going to share tonight as well There's 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:19.919 some things that I believe that God wants to 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:24.419 take you back to foundation step Why? Because 00:10:24.419 --> 00:10:27.139 I believe in this nation. I think this is one 00:10:27.139 --> 00:10:29.100 of the most precious nations in the world. But 00:10:29.100 --> 00:10:31.320 I tell you, the enemy is chasing your tail at 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:34.279 them. How many of you feel that? And so someone 00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:37.379 has to stand up and say, no, not on my watch. 00:10:38.279 --> 00:10:41.799 No, in Jesus' name. And so that is part of our 00:10:41.799 --> 00:10:44.990 heart for this evening. This, as you'll see, 00:10:45.129 --> 00:10:48.490 is my wonderful Australian family, two Australian 00:10:48.490 --> 00:10:51.149 grandchildren, my dear daughter Nicola, who's 00:10:51.149 --> 00:10:55.230 now 29, with her husband, Tim. And I think there's 00:10:55.230 --> 00:10:59.009 one more. That's Grandad, my wonderful husband. 00:10:59.549 --> 00:11:02.070 We've been married 30 years, teaching little 00:11:02.070 --> 00:11:05.750 Cooper to say moo, and he learned very effectively. 00:11:08.330 --> 00:11:11.549 So what am I going to share now? Well, we've 00:11:11.549 --> 00:11:14.450 been on a journey I started last night about 00:11:14.450 --> 00:11:18.009 entering the secret place. We talked about that 00:11:18.009 --> 00:11:20.909 personal place of prayer where God enters our 00:11:20.909 --> 00:11:24.029 secret world at that very moment when we're being 00:11:24.029 --> 00:11:27.669 made and He forms us, He makes us. It says in 00:11:27.669 --> 00:11:31.590 Psalm 139, in the secret place He knew us. In 00:11:31.590 --> 00:11:33.870 that place of being physically formed He knew 00:11:33.870 --> 00:11:37.230 us. But then God extends the invitation to us 00:11:37.230 --> 00:11:41.600 and says, now when you pray, Shut the door, go 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:45.139 into a secret place, and start talking. He invites 00:11:45.139 --> 00:11:48.120 you to begin to talk with the Godhead, right 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:51.860 in the Trinity. It says, Father, Son, abide in 00:11:51.860 --> 00:11:54.919 Him, talk with Him. And I shared that last night. 00:11:55.379 --> 00:11:58.169 And then this morning, first session, I... knew 00:11:58.169 --> 00:12:00.490 that at the early service I must be speaking 00:12:00.490 --> 00:12:03.990 to the warriors because they were up and ready 00:12:03.990 --> 00:12:07.370 even with the hour going forward they were still 00:12:07.370 --> 00:12:11.389 on post at the time the bugle sounded they were 00:12:11.389 --> 00:12:14.250 there and so we so we spoke this morning about 00:12:14.250 --> 00:12:18.070 not on my watch I released that warrior cry a 00:12:18.070 --> 00:12:20.230 prayer that I believe God is wanting to stir 00:12:20.230 --> 00:12:23.529 that there's a whole new sound that says no we 00:12:23.529 --> 00:12:27.110 don't father hear our cry let the watchman arrive 00:12:27.049 --> 00:12:31.309 Let them stand on the rampart. Let them see the 00:12:31.309 --> 00:12:33.789 enemy's plan, but then release the sound of God. 00:12:34.149 --> 00:12:37.309 That in all this season of shaking, we will not 00:12:37.309 --> 00:12:42.289 be shaken. We'll stand. I think there was a good 00:12:42.289 --> 00:12:47.049 man who said, we're shaken but not stirred. He 00:12:47.049 --> 00:12:51.970 was quite an English man, I think. But I wonder 00:12:51.970 --> 00:12:54.250 if you're shaken and stirred. But God says, no, 00:12:54.250 --> 00:12:58.580 come on. Shakey, shaky. but wakey wakey. It's 00:12:58.580 --> 00:13:02.120 time to wake up. It's time to stand. It's time 00:13:02.120 --> 00:13:04.860 to see what the enemy's plan is and reverse his 00:13:04.860 --> 00:13:08.289 curse and release. the sound of God homologate 00:13:08.289 --> 00:13:11.350 to begin to say what God is saying and that's 00:13:11.350 --> 00:13:13.950 the warfare sound the sound that puts your foot 00:13:13.950 --> 00:13:16.730 down and says I've had enough now not on my watch 00:13:16.730 --> 00:13:20.429 back off release this is the day of God in my 00:13:20.429 --> 00:13:22.769 place and sometimes we need to pray like that 00:13:22.769 --> 00:13:24.970 how many know what I'm talking about we have 00:13:24.970 --> 00:13:27.990 to put the stop sign up in the spirit and something 00:13:27.990 --> 00:13:30.809 needs to be awakened and just say I've had enough 00:13:31.210 --> 00:13:34.409 That's one face of prayer as we come to pray 00:13:34.409 --> 00:13:36.389 for the family and the marriage and we discussed 00:13:36.389 --> 00:13:39.210 that in the first service. But now in this service 00:13:39.210 --> 00:13:42.370 I want to talk about from the heart of kindness. 00:13:42.450 --> 00:13:45.169 How do we pray for our homes and our families 00:13:45.169 --> 00:13:48.549 from a heart of kindness? There is that heart 00:13:48.549 --> 00:13:51.029 of war which we did this morning but then there's 00:13:51.029 --> 00:13:54.450 the heart of kindness. There's that heart that 00:13:54.450 --> 00:13:58.289 breaks. There's that heart that weeps. There's 00:13:58.289 --> 00:14:03.570 that heart that just endorses. I don't know about 00:14:03.570 --> 00:14:05.889 you, but I've discovered that when you go on 00:14:05.889 --> 00:14:08.590 that journey of prayer, prayer seems to change 00:14:08.590 --> 00:14:15.330 you first before it changes your world. And you 00:14:15.330 --> 00:14:18.490 see, God wants to soften some of the stuff. And 00:14:18.490 --> 00:14:20.649 all the way through Scripture, there is always 00:14:20.649 --> 00:14:23.509 that contradiction. You know, He's a God of incredible 00:14:23.509 --> 00:14:26.700 love, but He's a God of wrath and anger. How 00:14:26.700 --> 00:14:29.159 do we handle these things? And I believe that 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:32.440 both those sounds should be Reflected in a balanced 00:14:32.440 --> 00:14:35.779 prayer life that as we come to pray for our families. 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:39.299 There should be that warrior that says no But 00:14:39.299 --> 00:14:42.879 there should be the tears that said oh god. Yes 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:47.899 So, how do we stretch our hearts so that we sound 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:51.820 and feel like God as I already mentioned as I 00:14:51.820 --> 00:14:55.070 was talking about you know, going to South Africa 00:14:55.070 --> 00:14:58.730 and just wanting to see those wheelchairs. In 00:14:58.730 --> 00:15:02.429 1984 I was in a very serious road traffic accident. 00:15:02.990 --> 00:15:05.370 We were in Zimbabwe at the time as missionaries 00:15:05.370 --> 00:15:08.610 and I was run over by a seven ton army truck 00:15:08.610 --> 00:15:12.070 while I was administering first aid in the middle 00:15:12.070 --> 00:15:15.610 of the road. The police cordon didn't protect 00:15:15.610 --> 00:15:18.230 me and this truck came down the hill, smashed 00:15:18.230 --> 00:15:20.549 into my legs and broke everything from my hip 00:15:20.549 --> 00:15:23.570 to my ankles. So both my legs have been slightly 00:15:23.570 --> 00:15:26.169 redesigned. They have curves where maybe they 00:15:26.169 --> 00:15:30.210 shouldn't have them. And with my smashed legs 00:15:30.210 --> 00:15:33.169 I was taken to the hospital. Then went into a 00:15:33.169 --> 00:15:36.889 deep coma because of Malte fat emboli where the 00:15:36.889 --> 00:15:39.809 fat tissue in the broken bones got into my brain 00:15:39.809 --> 00:15:43.330 stem and I was meant to die. That was nearly 00:15:43.330 --> 00:15:47.289 30 years ago and there a church stood up and 00:15:47.289 --> 00:15:50.990 it prayed no You shall not die but live you shall 00:15:50.990 --> 00:15:54.389 not die but live and after five days of militant 00:15:54.389 --> 00:15:57.210 prayer where they just sought God God touched 00:15:57.210 --> 00:16:01.110 my body I sat up woke up and they say was totally 00:16:01.110 --> 00:16:04.909 healed and I'm brain normal and I escaped my 00:16:04.909 --> 00:16:08.809 funeral and God delivered me But the interesting 00:16:08.809 --> 00:16:11.990 thing was even during all of that, my legs weren't 00:16:11.990 --> 00:16:15.850 healed. And I went through a season of about 00:16:15.850 --> 00:16:19.389 four, four and a half years, but for eight months 00:16:19.389 --> 00:16:22.529 permanently and 18 months partially in a wheelchair. 00:16:24.110 --> 00:16:27.029 And during that time, having just had my life 00:16:27.029 --> 00:16:30.610 delivered because of an amazing encounter of 00:16:30.610 --> 00:16:33.009 healing, you would think that you would just 00:16:33.009 --> 00:16:36.159 pray like the angels, wouldn't you? And what 00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:39.820 frustrated me was I still found it hard to pray. 00:16:40.940 --> 00:16:44.600 I still found it hard to find my fluency. I still 00:16:44.600 --> 00:16:47.440 found it hard to find a compassion that went 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:51.379 beyond myself. I mean, I knew Jesus had answered 00:16:51.379 --> 00:16:54.919 prayer. I had a funeral arranged for me and I'd 00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:58.059 escape my funeral. But even in the midst of all 00:16:58.059 --> 00:17:03.519 of that, I could not find a capacity to pray. 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:07.180 I want to say that if you're still trying to 00:17:07.180 --> 00:17:10.039 pray out of, I need to be a good girl or a good 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:12.640 boy and pray, that's never going to be a good 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:15.980 source of resource. We can't do it out of our 00:17:15.980 --> 00:17:20.460 own self effort. Crisis might motivate you for 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:22.980 a little while to pray, but how many know it 00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:26.640 doesn't keep you praying. You see, something 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:29.980 else has to happen on the inside of us, which 00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:34.180 teaches us to pray. The disciples, remember, 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:37.880 in Luke chapter 11, they watched Jesus. And again 00:17:37.880 --> 00:17:40.759 and again, if you read especially Mark's gospel 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:43.819 and Luke's gospel, you'll find this little verse. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:47.200 And it says something like this quite a few times. 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:50.099 It says, and Jesus went away to a certain place 00:17:50.099 --> 00:17:52.839 to pray. How many of you recognise? Again, or 00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:55.140 Jesus got up early in the morning and went to 00:17:55.140 --> 00:17:58.579 pray. And you just see this little sort of phrase, 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:01.059 repeat itself, especially in Mark and Luke's 00:18:01.059 --> 00:18:04.599 gospel. and here in Luke chapter 11 again Jesus 00:18:04.599 --> 00:18:07.380 had gone to a certain place to pray the disciples 00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:10.799 discover his prayer spot and they grab him and 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:16.319 they say Lord teach me to pray Lord teach me 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:20.119 to pray you know maybe you're looking at a real 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:23.400 need financially maybe you're looking for a need 00:18:23.400 --> 00:18:27.829 real need of healing maybe you're just watching 00:18:27.829 --> 00:18:30.430 your marriage or just stuff go on in your world, 00:18:30.650 --> 00:18:32.130 and you just think, I should be praying more, 00:18:32.309 --> 00:18:34.049 should be praying more, should be praying more. 00:18:34.609 --> 00:18:38.210 I wanna say that that isn't what makes us pray. 00:18:39.029 --> 00:18:42.069 Crisis can make us, trigger us, but actually 00:18:42.069 --> 00:18:45.450 something greater than that. I pray this morning 00:18:45.450 --> 00:18:47.690 that you start praying that first prayer. The 00:18:47.690 --> 00:18:50.450 best prayer you can pray is, oh God, teach me 00:18:50.450 --> 00:18:55.079 to pray. God teach me to pray God teach me to 00:18:55.079 --> 00:18:57.839 pray God show me what I should sound like in 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:00.380 this season God show me how to pray for this 00:19:00.380 --> 00:19:02.920 cancer God show me how to pray for that marriage 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:06.319 God show me teach me to pray teach me to pray 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:09.259 teach me to pray and it says in the disciples 00:19:09.259 --> 00:19:13.279 came Luke 11 verse 1 and found Jesus said Lord 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:18.240 Teach me to pray How many of you say I want to 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:21.440 say that prayer this way just say oh God Teach 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:25.079 me to pray. And as I was sitting on that wheelchair 00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:27.519 and trying to learn to pray and wanting to make 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:29.799 a difference, I found the Holy Spirit spoke to 00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:32.599 me and He said, Rachel, stop trying to pray. 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:37.339 First, let me touch your heart and teach you 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:41.299 to love. And I want to say I believe that the 00:19:41.299 --> 00:19:44.759 basic bottom line of an effective prayer life 00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:48.930 is passionate love. First, love the Lord your 00:19:48.930 --> 00:19:50.650 God with all your heart, mind, soul, and being. 00:19:50.809 --> 00:19:53.470 If you're really a Jesus lover, you will miss 00:19:53.470 --> 00:19:56.089 him so much you can't bear not to talk to him. 00:19:56.769 --> 00:19:59.750 What is praying? Basically, just talking to Jesus. 00:20:00.230 --> 00:20:02.470 Basically, it's just saying, oh God, I love you. 00:20:02.630 --> 00:20:05.390 God, I want you in my world. God, I miss your 00:20:05.390 --> 00:20:10.509 face. Prayer isn't a checklist of, did I bless 00:20:10.509 --> 00:20:12.930 my arm? Did I bless the dog? You know, that is 00:20:12.930 --> 00:20:15.069 not prayer so much. Do you get what I'm saying? 00:20:15.250 --> 00:20:17.569 We need to get prayer out of the box, out of 00:20:17.569 --> 00:20:20.730 all its straight jackets, and I believe really 00:20:20.730 --> 00:20:24.730 prayer is just however I talk to God. Let him 00:20:24.730 --> 00:20:30.029 hear my voice. The prayer life of a church will 00:20:30.029 --> 00:20:33.170 only ever be as good as the prayer life of the 00:20:33.170 --> 00:20:37.730 individuals who attend it. The prayer life of 00:20:37.730 --> 00:20:40.809 a church will only ever be as good as the prayer 00:20:40.809 --> 00:20:44.809 life of the individuals who attend it. And it's 00:20:44.809 --> 00:20:46.950 always great. How many of you can immediately 00:20:46.950 --> 00:20:49.410 think of some people who inspire you to pray 00:20:49.410 --> 00:20:53.289 in this house? You see, it's great. I believe 00:20:53.289 --> 00:20:55.910 one of the great things of prayer is it's caught 00:20:55.910 --> 00:20:58.130 even more than taught. That's what we're going 00:20:58.130 --> 00:21:00.730 to do tonight. How many of you have been to some 00:21:00.730 --> 00:21:03.329 terrible prayer meetings that really bored you? 00:21:03.450 --> 00:21:06.769 I have. How many of you have been to some wonderful 00:21:06.769 --> 00:21:11.329 prayer meetings that inspired you? Like everything 00:21:11.329 --> 00:21:14.390 in life, there is the good, the bad, and the 00:21:14.390 --> 00:21:20.329 ugly. And prayer is no exception. But we've got 00:21:20.329 --> 00:21:23.869 to delete some of the bad things about prayer. 00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:27.880 Actually, just not get so serious about it. I 00:21:27.880 --> 00:21:30.619 mean, I've been in all sorts of prayer meetings. 00:21:30.680 --> 00:21:33.279 I could tell you stories that would really make 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:35.640 you laugh. But I remember one which was when 00:21:35.640 --> 00:21:38.740 I was about 15, 16. My parents had just come 00:21:38.740 --> 00:21:41.079 back as missionaries from India. And we were 00:21:41.079 --> 00:21:44.119 having this prayer meeting. I can't remember 00:21:44.119 --> 00:21:46.039 actually what we were praying for, but there 00:21:46.039 --> 00:21:48.539 was an incredible sense of the presence of God. 00:21:48.940 --> 00:21:52.079 There was just that beautiful, hushed moment. 00:21:52.650 --> 00:21:55.809 And someone began to start up this worship song 00:21:55.809 --> 00:21:58.569 until they realized they were singing, she'll 00:21:58.569 --> 00:22:03.259 be wearing pink pajamas when she comes. It was 00:22:03.259 --> 00:22:06.819 the most hilarious moment, but it was so funny 00:22:06.819 --> 00:22:09.079 because most people couldn't laugh a bit like 00:22:09.079 --> 00:22:11.900 you But I tell you honestly she this woman just 00:22:11.900 --> 00:22:14.599 because she'll be wearing and suddenly she realized 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:17.400 it wasn't a worship song It was a stupid thing 00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:19.640 and it was such a presence of God and everyone 00:22:19.640 --> 00:22:22.559 was all trying to be all terribly Oh, Holy Spirit 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:24.720 Jesus. We just say oh that was I think was the 00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:26.660 wrong song. Let's have a laugh What song shall 00:22:26.660 --> 00:22:29.799 we sing now? I mean sometimes we get ourselves 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:35.880 in such a mess Hello? Come on, let's demystify. 00:22:36.180 --> 00:22:39.039 Let's get all the religion out of it. This is 00:22:39.039 --> 00:22:42.859 me talking to Jesus. It doesn't really matter 00:22:42.859 --> 00:22:45.339 if you get it a bit wrong. I mean, I've had guys 00:22:45.339 --> 00:22:47.240 get up and pray, and, Father, I thank you that 00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:49.140 in the book of King Hezekiah, well, there isn't 00:22:49.140 --> 00:22:51.440 one, but he was a king. It was in the book of 00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:54.240 Kings. But so what? It doesn't matter. And then 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:56.220 the next person said, oh, I thank you, God, that 00:22:56.220 --> 00:22:58.519 I know there isn't a book, Hezekiah. I'll go 00:22:58.519 --> 00:23:02.299 to bed, please. Don't you ever feel like that? 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:07.460 But you see, if we don't get rid of this stuff... 00:23:07.460 --> 00:23:10.480 I went to church before I was born. Is that okay? 00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:14.180 I've done a lot of church in my life and so I'm 00:23:14.180 --> 00:23:20.380 not frightened to just say it how it is. But 00:23:20.380 --> 00:23:24.980 what is prayer? How do we come? You see, real 00:23:24.980 --> 00:23:27.180 prayer is you begin to cry or God teach you to 00:23:27.180 --> 00:23:29.859 pray. Number one, I find it increases your love 00:23:29.859 --> 00:23:35.720 capacity. It makes you a lover of Jesus. I want 00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:41.119 to ask you, do you miss his sound? But prayer 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:43.680 will also increase your love capacity for other 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:48.980 people. Because as you love Jesus, guess what? 00:23:49.069 --> 00:23:51.849 Jesus loves people, have you discovered that? 00:23:52.089 --> 00:23:55.089 Jesus is such a lover. And as you touch God in 00:23:55.089 --> 00:23:57.630 worship, as you touch God in prayer, more and 00:23:57.630 --> 00:24:01.190 more you want to touch people. And suddenly you 00:24:01.190 --> 00:24:05.750 find your prayer life has a spiritual source. 00:24:05.769 --> 00:24:08.670 It's not just your natural ability. You suddenly 00:24:08.670 --> 00:24:11.430 begin to notice people as you walk down the streets 00:24:11.430 --> 00:24:13.910 and think, oh God, I see the pain on that place. 00:24:14.109 --> 00:24:16.549 And do you know what a legitimate prayer is? 00:24:16.710 --> 00:24:19.930 Oh God, just put your blessing on them. Just 00:24:19.930 --> 00:24:21.970 put your blessing on it. You know, that's all 00:24:21.970 --> 00:24:24.470 that prayer needs to be. It doesn't have to be 00:24:24.470 --> 00:24:26.849 five hours of intercession, but just develop 00:24:26.849 --> 00:24:29.569 a prayer culture, a prayer atmosphere. Oh God, 00:24:29.809 --> 00:24:31.809 just bless them. Maybe you would notice your 00:24:31.809 --> 00:24:33.789 neighbour come out and they're drunk again. You 00:24:33.789 --> 00:24:36.309 think, God, just break that spirit. That's all 00:24:36.309 --> 00:24:39.210 you need to do. Just begin to start talking it. 00:24:40.859 --> 00:24:43.880 Just begin. You're just talking to Jesus. Oh 00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:46.400 God, increase my love capacity. God, I pray, 00:24:46.420 --> 00:24:48.940 lift that depression off there. God, just bless 00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:52.619 that man. You know, every time one of these lunatic 00:24:52.619 --> 00:24:56.440 motorbikers drive past me at about 360 miles 00:24:56.440 --> 00:24:59.500 an hour overtaking on the inside and outside, 00:24:59.779 --> 00:25:01.880 you know what I've done more and more? Helen 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:04.619 will verify. Oh God, bless that guy. He's somebody's 00:25:04.619 --> 00:25:10.170 boy. God, I rebuke every spirit of death of him. 00:25:11.029 --> 00:25:13.950 I'm a pastor, I've done too many funerals of 00:25:13.950 --> 00:25:17.710 young people. No, in Jesus' name, God, right 00:25:17.710 --> 00:25:21.119 now I break that. God put a God around him. You 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:24.440 know, we can do that. You see, love, as you become 00:25:24.440 --> 00:25:26.700 a love of Jesus, prayer will increase your love 00:25:26.700 --> 00:25:29.539 capacity. It will make you feel like actually 00:25:29.539 --> 00:25:32.059 you love the world. God so loved the world, I 00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:34.420 become like Jesus. The world's my oyster now. 00:25:34.579 --> 00:25:37.400 God, he's one of my boys. No, the devil's not 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:39.980 having him. She's one of my girls. No, the devil's 00:25:39.980 --> 00:25:43.019 not having them. You find that this love has 00:25:43.019 --> 00:25:45.279 a spiritual source and not a natural ability. 00:25:45.539 --> 00:25:48.079 You find you're able to love people you don't 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:51.150 even love. like in the place of prayer. How many 00:25:51.150 --> 00:25:53.069 of you've done that and you're having a slight 00:25:53.069 --> 00:25:55.589 schizo moment, you're thinking, why am I sounding 00:25:55.589 --> 00:25:57.829 so nice to this person? Because I don't like 00:25:57.829 --> 00:26:00.630 them. They just were real mean to me. Ever had 00:26:00.630 --> 00:26:04.869 that moment? But you see, that is God on you. 00:26:06.150 --> 00:26:09.650 God can take you outside your natural abilities, 00:26:09.890 --> 00:26:12.390 your natural emotions. God is going to give you 00:26:12.390 --> 00:26:15.849 an agape, a supernatural spiritual love that 00:26:15.849 --> 00:26:20.230 goes beyond all your feelings. And you can begin 00:26:20.230 --> 00:26:24.349 to be a declarer. You see, this agape, supernatural 00:26:24.349 --> 00:26:27.230 love of God, this love of God is a decision, 00:26:27.309 --> 00:26:30.349 not an emotion. That's what I'm saying. Just 00:26:30.349 --> 00:26:33.569 decide to be an outrageous lover in your community. 00:26:34.109 --> 00:26:37.660 Decide to love. Love kept Jesus on the cross 00:26:37.660 --> 00:26:40.960 and this love and only this love will keep you 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:46.640 on your knees this love Costs you something it 00:26:46.640 --> 00:26:49.839 costs Jesus his life and all cost you your reputation 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:52.220 It will cost you your emotions that cost you 00:26:52.220 --> 00:26:56.559 your time God's love will move you out of your 00:26:56.559 --> 00:27:00.460 comfort zones You'll find yourself praying and 00:27:00.460 --> 00:27:03.539 saying things you don't feel like but Jesus in 00:27:03.539 --> 00:27:10.539 you just leaks out. You see true prayer and intercession 00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:13.500 doesn't flow out of personality. I personally 00:27:13.500 --> 00:27:16.259 don't believe there is any such thing as just 00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:19.259 a normal prayer. We become prayers because God 00:27:19.259 --> 00:27:23.140 gets hold of us. Most of us are like the disciples 00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:25.880 in the Garden of Gethsemane when we're told pray 00:27:25.880 --> 00:27:29.269 we sleep. And Jesus has to come wake us up and 00:27:29.269 --> 00:27:31.130 say, hello, you're meant to be praying. Oh God, 00:27:31.130 --> 00:27:33.589 sorry, I was sleeping. But actually, once you 00:27:33.589 --> 00:27:38.109 suddenly fall into love with God, you find that 00:27:38.109 --> 00:27:41.170 prayer isn't just a personality thing. Prayer 00:27:41.170 --> 00:27:46.509 is a love thing. So say, God, teach me to pray. 00:27:46.670 --> 00:27:51.250 Say it with me this morning. Teach me to love. 00:27:52.370 --> 00:27:55.789 And I find that then as you begin to pray, God 00:27:55.789 --> 00:27:59.829 also, number two, increases your compassion capacity. 00:28:00.869 --> 00:28:03.089 You can already hear it coming through. It's 00:28:03.089 --> 00:28:05.170 hard to separate them. Because you see, once 00:28:05.170 --> 00:28:09.430 this love works in your heart, it leaks out. 00:28:09.690 --> 00:28:12.990 What is love that leaks out? Well, the theological 00:28:12.990 --> 00:28:17.009 word is compassion. Or if you like, you can have 00:28:17.009 --> 00:28:20.650 love that's leaking out. It's just the love that 00:28:20.650 --> 00:28:23.430 you can't keep inside anymore. It's the outworking 00:28:23.430 --> 00:28:27.130 of love through your soul and body. Compassion 00:28:27.130 --> 00:28:32.690 is literally love expressed in your hands. And 00:28:32.690 --> 00:28:37.069 we read in Matthew chapter 9 verse 36 to 38. 00:28:37.130 --> 00:28:40.210 Why don't you read this with me? And when he, 00:28:40.230 --> 00:28:45.130 Jesus, saw the crowds, he had compassion on them. 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:49.519 because they were harassed and helpless, like 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:52.599 sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his 00:28:52.599 --> 00:28:56.220 disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the 00:28:56.220 --> 00:28:59.720 workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, 00:28:59.779 --> 00:29:04.180 therefore, to send out workers into his harvest 00:29:04.180 --> 00:29:09.480 field. I want to ask you, have you got enough 00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:14.190 prayer topics? Maybe you've got your prayer list, 00:29:14.190 --> 00:29:17.009 but I want to say God's got a prayer list. And 00:29:17.009 --> 00:29:19.490 as you begin to walk through your community and 00:29:19.490 --> 00:29:22.029 you begin to take this love of heart, you can 00:29:22.029 --> 00:29:24.329 find yourself praying for all sorts of people. 00:29:24.650 --> 00:29:26.970 You might think, well, what's the use? I don't 00:29:26.970 --> 00:29:29.750 know what's going to happen. I want to just say, 00:29:30.950 --> 00:29:34.529 praying time is never wasted time. And again 00:29:34.529 --> 00:29:37.710 and again and again, you don't know what you're 00:29:37.710 --> 00:29:43.940 doing. What's going to happen? what you're binding 00:29:43.940 --> 00:29:46.079 in the heavens and what's gonna be loosed on 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:48.920 the earth. How many of you know? We have no idea 00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:52.400 what God is up to. But if the Holy Spirit shows 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:55.960 you something, you see, Jesus looked at people 00:29:55.960 --> 00:29:59.359 and he noticed the emotional need beyond the 00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:02.900 face. He could see in this crowd people who were 00:30:02.900 --> 00:30:06.400 harassed, people who felt helpless, people who 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:09.779 felt lonely without a shepherd, and that moved 00:30:09.779 --> 00:30:14.859 him with compassion. And I believe more and more 00:30:14.859 --> 00:30:18.619 and more in Britain, in Europe, in America today, 00:30:18.920 --> 00:30:21.640 as you walk through shopping malls and just general 00:30:21.640 --> 00:30:24.900 places of life, you see loneliness, worry, thing. 00:30:25.160 --> 00:30:26.799 How many of you just noticed that? You walk into 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:29.019 a coffee shop and you could just sense people 00:30:29.019 --> 00:30:32.640 are really wound up. You could just feel atmospheres 00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:37.160 around people. And you are God's special agent. 00:30:37.640 --> 00:30:41.190 And he says, come on, just loose. some love. 00:30:41.250 --> 00:30:43.750 And as you begin to pray, you will just find 00:30:43.750 --> 00:30:46.390 that God will make you sensitive to the needs 00:30:46.390 --> 00:30:50.289 of people amongst you. What is compassion? Compassion 00:30:50.289 --> 00:30:53.950 literally means come with, to suffer with. It 00:30:53.950 --> 00:30:56.329 literally means that emotion, that spiritual 00:30:56.329 --> 00:31:00.069 gift that can suffer alongside the people. In 00:31:00.069 --> 00:31:06.130 other words, you feel what they feel. You know, 00:31:06.349 --> 00:31:08.930 mourn with those who mourn. Weak with those who 00:31:08.930 --> 00:31:11.509 are weak. You begin to feel that sense and that 00:31:11.509 --> 00:31:15.789 should trigger again prayer in you. And it's 00:31:15.789 --> 00:31:19.009 so easy to criticize, but actually when you see 00:31:19.009 --> 00:31:21.349 the need, ask God all the increased compassion 00:31:21.349 --> 00:31:27.769 in me. God, let me be someone that has an increased 00:31:27.769 --> 00:31:30.190 love capacity, increased compassion. Next one, 00:31:30.210 --> 00:31:33.549 number three. I find it increases as you pray, 00:31:33.750 --> 00:31:38.910 it challenges your whole justice mentality. And 00:31:38.910 --> 00:31:42.910 says, come on, give mercy. How many of you have 00:31:42.910 --> 00:31:45.069 discovered that? You know, often you go into 00:31:45.069 --> 00:31:47.009 the presence of God and you say, God, it's not 00:31:47.009 --> 00:31:49.849 fair. And by the end of it, you're praying blessing. 00:31:51.509 --> 00:31:53.450 Do you understand what I'm saying? You see, prayer 00:31:53.450 --> 00:31:56.630 has this wonderful ability to make you generous. 00:31:57.730 --> 00:32:01.150 Because the natural man... is legalistic. We 00:32:01.150 --> 00:32:03.690 want everything right. We want them to get their 00:32:03.690 --> 00:32:06.829 dues. We want them to be nailed. How many of 00:32:06.829 --> 00:32:08.890 you find maybe you're not as mean as me but there's 00:32:08.890 --> 00:32:11.269 that sense in you that just says no it's not 00:32:11.269 --> 00:32:13.849 fair God. This is right. That's right. How many 00:32:13.849 --> 00:32:15.789 know what I'm talking about? Then you get into 00:32:15.789 --> 00:32:18.869 the place of prayer and the goodness of God softens 00:32:18.869 --> 00:32:21.630 your heart and you're praying mercy. God don't 00:32:21.630 --> 00:32:23.869 give them what they deserve. God don't give them 00:32:23.869 --> 00:32:28.910 what they deserve. And you see We've got to recognise 00:32:28.910 --> 00:32:31.210 that's one of the grace things of prayer. What 00:32:31.210 --> 00:32:34.089 is prayer? Communication to God. It's where I 00:32:34.089 --> 00:32:36.529 get transformed and changed to be more like Him. 00:32:36.710 --> 00:32:39.410 Where my heart gets softened and I begin to sound 00:32:39.410 --> 00:32:45.460 more like God. And so as we begin to pray for 00:32:45.460 --> 00:32:47.759 our families, our homes, our work colleagues, 00:32:48.059 --> 00:32:50.700 may I just have sensed as I was just praying 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:52.980 this morning that many of you are really struggling 00:32:52.980 --> 00:32:55.539 in the workplace. I felt that there was a whole 00:32:55.539 --> 00:32:58.500 series of injustice and stuff going on that is 00:32:58.500 --> 00:33:01.799 not the greatest news and best ethics and best 00:33:01.799 --> 00:33:04.180 atmospheres. And so there's a great sense that 00:33:04.180 --> 00:33:06.220 we come into God and say, God, you know that 00:33:06.220 --> 00:33:09.019 guy, nail him for me. God, you know that guy, 00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:11.859 sort him for me. You know that guy, just let 00:33:11.859 --> 00:33:14.220 him be discovered. And there's that whole thing 00:33:14.220 --> 00:33:16.039 of almost rubbing our hands, saying, well, God's 00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:18.980 going to get you. You know, all the lack of integrity 00:33:18.980 --> 00:33:21.599 is going to come. But actually, God's saying, 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:25.579 I want you to go a better way. I want you to 00:33:25.579 --> 00:33:28.339 start praying blessing on those who persecute 00:33:28.339 --> 00:33:30.920 you, who treat you wrong. I want you to reverse 00:33:30.920 --> 00:33:35.460 the curse, not release one. I want you to begin 00:33:35.460 --> 00:33:38.759 to speak. You see, I've found that prayer again 00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:43.160 and again changes us. Even as parents, it changes 00:33:43.160 --> 00:33:45.720 you. You can look at your kids and think, oh 00:33:45.720 --> 00:33:47.779 well, you'll get what you deserve. Hello, is 00:33:47.779 --> 00:33:52.980 that what you want Jesus to say to you? Do you 00:33:52.980 --> 00:33:55.559 get what I'm saying? And again and again in the 00:33:55.559 --> 00:33:58.359 pace of prayer, as a parent, and I've done the 00:33:58.359 --> 00:34:01.039 teenage years, my kids are now what, 25, 29, 00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:03.480 and I remember in those teenage years, there 00:34:03.480 --> 00:34:08.480 was many times, come on God, be on my side. Guess 00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:10.539 what? God loves your kids as much as he loves 00:34:10.539 --> 00:34:15.199 you. He's not taking sides. Do you get what I'm 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:17.599 saying? And so sometimes in that prayer place 00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:20.739 we can get all sorts of our emotions and motivations 00:34:20.739 --> 00:34:25.880 in there. And many times I found myself just 00:34:25.880 --> 00:34:29.719 praying, Oh God, mercy, mercy, mercy. I know 00:34:29.719 --> 00:34:32.239 my kids were always glad if they saw me go and 00:34:32.239 --> 00:34:39.219 pray before I spoke to them. Like I can't deal 00:34:39.219 --> 00:34:41.280 with this now. That's fine mum. We'll see you 00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:47.940 later But you know, it's the goodness and kindness 00:34:47.940 --> 00:34:53.780 of God that leads us to repentance I remember 00:34:53.780 --> 00:34:56.280 one time I'd been challenging David, I've only 00:34:56.280 --> 00:34:58.579 got one girl and one boy. So for a long time 00:34:58.579 --> 00:35:01.280 I used to say my child and then it would be he 00:35:01.280 --> 00:35:03.460 he or she she and both my kids said look mum 00:35:03.460 --> 00:35:05.599 it doesn't work however much you try and say 00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:08.360 you're not talking about your son it's he I'm 00:35:08.360 --> 00:35:12.840 the only he just name the name. I was talking 00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:15.579 to David one time and he was going through just 00:35:15.579 --> 00:35:18.400 some choice issues and I gave him the keys of 00:35:18.400 --> 00:35:20.019 my car and I said you know the rules he looked 00:35:20.019 --> 00:35:23.599 at me said mum even if I didn't. I know God and 00:35:23.599 --> 00:35:26.900 I know you and I'll do what's right. And I realize 00:35:26.900 --> 00:35:29.619 for all the prayer and all the stuff, there comes 00:35:29.619 --> 00:35:35.739 times when God gets them. And so let prayer, 00:35:35.800 --> 00:35:38.079 as you're praying in your home and in your family 00:35:38.079 --> 00:35:40.719 for your children, ask God, Oh God, teach me 00:35:40.719 --> 00:35:45.699 the way of mercy. Teach me when I'm praying. 00:35:46.500 --> 00:35:48.619 Of course, in your authority time, you maybe 00:35:48.619 --> 00:35:50.679 have to speak. I'm talking about the prayer place. 00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:53.159 You see, the prayer place, we come in mercy, 00:35:53.460 --> 00:35:56.539 not judgment. In the prayer place, we build a 00:35:56.539 --> 00:35:58.679 pathway for the goodness of God. In the prayer 00:35:58.679 --> 00:36:01.119 place, we build a place of repentance. In the 00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:02.800 prayer place, we're building a prayer for the 00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:04.760 goodness of God. Do you get what I'm saying here? 00:36:05.099 --> 00:36:08.380 We're building a highway so that God can break 00:36:08.380 --> 00:36:12.159 through. You see, prayer changes me first and 00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:15.219 then my world. And finally, As we pray more, 00:36:15.659 --> 00:36:18.780 I find prayer upgrades your discernment of people 00:36:18.780 --> 00:36:21.800 and the spiritual atmospheres. It's only as you've 00:36:21.800 --> 00:36:23.980 really opened that prayer tank and said, Oh God, 00:36:24.280 --> 00:36:28.239 teach me to pray. God teach me how to pray. He 00:36:28.239 --> 00:36:30.039 says, okay, I'm going to teach you how to love. 00:36:30.440 --> 00:36:32.860 I'm going to teach you compassion. I'm going 00:36:32.860 --> 00:36:35.679 to teach you mercy instead of always being so 00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:39.260 critical. Then finally God says, okay, now you've 00:36:39.260 --> 00:36:41.360 learned to have a heart rooted in love when you 00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:44.409 pray. Now you're motivated by compassion when 00:36:44.409 --> 00:36:47.889 you pray. Now you're crying out for mercy and 00:36:47.889 --> 00:36:50.670 identification when you're praying. Now I can 00:36:50.670 --> 00:36:54.030 trust you to see right into the needs and the 00:36:54.030 --> 00:36:57.389 secrets of men's hearts. And I've found that 00:36:57.389 --> 00:36:59.969 if you really pray for people, suddenly God will 00:36:59.969 --> 00:37:03.010 begin to share with you the secrets of the secret 00:37:03.010 --> 00:37:08.530 place. He'll show you what's going on. He'll 00:37:08.530 --> 00:37:11.090 help you have language for some of the needs 00:37:11.090 --> 00:37:14.650 And I would say as a parent that has saved me 00:37:14.650 --> 00:37:17.190 more times than ever with my two kids as they 00:37:17.190 --> 00:37:19.949 were growing up I remember watching Nicola as 00:37:19.949 --> 00:37:22.710 she was just so struggling at school at one particular 00:37:22.710 --> 00:37:25.530 time She so wanted to have Christian friends 00:37:25.530 --> 00:37:28.329 and didn't have anyone yet in her world that 00:37:28.329 --> 00:37:31.210 was a Christian And she kept saying mom. I'm 00:37:31.210 --> 00:37:33.269 struggling. I could see she was struggling. I 00:37:33.269 --> 00:37:36.409 could see her faith was being challenged And 00:37:36.409 --> 00:37:38.989 I kept saying, God, help me, help me. And God 00:37:38.989 --> 00:37:42.050 says, she's just getting disappointed. And I 00:37:42.050 --> 00:37:45.030 was able to discern that atmosphere of disappointment 00:37:45.030 --> 00:37:47.650 beginning to grip her spiritual faith. And I 00:37:47.650 --> 00:37:50.750 thought, God, what do I do? I don't want disappointment 00:37:50.750 --> 00:37:53.909 to get into my daughter at 1450. And the Holy 00:37:53.909 --> 00:37:55.789 Spirit just spoke to me, take her on missions. 00:37:57.010 --> 00:37:59.510 And so I paid, took her on missions. You know, 00:37:59.590 --> 00:38:03.070 something broke, that disappointment, that heaviness. 00:38:03.349 --> 00:38:05.829 You see, I believe if you become a praying person, 00:38:06.030 --> 00:38:08.170 God will begin to give you discernment. You'll 00:38:08.170 --> 00:38:11.110 understand why people are backing off, why they're 00:38:11.110 --> 00:38:13.190 putting that bravado out there. Why is someone 00:38:13.190 --> 00:38:16.329 always so angry and bitter towards you at work? 00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:18.940 What are the atmospheres they're carrying? As 00:38:18.940 --> 00:38:21.539 we begin to pray, God's gonna give us keys to 00:38:21.539 --> 00:38:25.559 unlock atmospheres, understand and discern the 00:38:25.559 --> 00:38:28.280 inner workings, and then we can begin to pray. 00:38:29.460 --> 00:38:34.280 We can begin to pray. So, prayer changes me first 00:38:34.280 --> 00:38:36.420 and then my world. And I want you to remember, 00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:39.920 in this whole context, that law of sowing and 00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:45.010 reaping. Because often when we pray for family 00:38:45.010 --> 00:38:47.789 or we pray for work colleagues or pray for people 00:38:47.789 --> 00:38:50.909 who are very near us, it can seem a little bit 00:38:50.909 --> 00:38:53.690 like a thankless task. How many of you have prayed 00:38:53.690 --> 00:38:57.030 for someone for more than five years? How many 00:38:57.030 --> 00:38:59.289 of you prayed for someone for more than ten years? 00:39:00.110 --> 00:39:04.050 And it's got worse. How many of you prayed for 00:39:04.050 --> 00:39:06.210 someone for more than 15 years? You see, it gets 00:39:06.210 --> 00:39:09.429 hard, doesn't it? And you begin to think, well, 00:39:09.469 --> 00:39:13.710 what's the point? But I just want to say, Don't 00:39:13.710 --> 00:39:18.489 give up. Now is not a good time to give up. We 00:39:18.489 --> 00:39:21.869 read this in Galatians 6, 7 to 9. Let's read 00:39:21.869 --> 00:39:25.369 it together. Do not be deceived. Why does it 00:39:25.369 --> 00:39:28.809 say that? Because we're very likely to get deceived. 00:39:29.320 --> 00:39:33.139 It's like the Bible's going, don't let the devil 00:39:33.139 --> 00:39:35.739 con you. This is an area where most Christians 00:39:35.739 --> 00:39:38.139 get really conned. This is where most people 00:39:38.139 --> 00:39:40.800 give up. This is an area where most people get 00:39:40.800 --> 00:39:44.920 deceived. Don't be deceived. What is the area 00:39:44.920 --> 00:39:47.000 of deception? The whole thing of sowing and reaping. 00:39:47.139 --> 00:39:51.000 So let's read it. God cannot be mocked. A man 00:39:51.000 --> 00:39:55.440 definitely reaps what he sows. The one who sows 00:39:55.440 --> 00:39:58.739 to please his sinful nature will from that nature 00:39:58.739 --> 00:40:02.000 reap destruction. But the one who sows to please 00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:05.639 the spirit will from the spirit reap eternal 00:40:05.639 --> 00:40:11.000 life. So let us not grow weary in doing good, 00:40:11.139 --> 00:40:15.659 in doing good, in doing good. For at the proper 00:40:15.659 --> 00:40:20.460 time we will reap a harvest if, if, if, if, if 00:40:20.460 --> 00:40:25.530 we do not give up. So say to your friend, we're 00:40:25.530 --> 00:40:30.690 doing good. We're doing good. Now say, but I 00:40:30.690 --> 00:40:37.550 won't give up. You see, what you sow will definitely 00:40:37.550 --> 00:40:41.289 grow. That can be really good news or really 00:40:41.289 --> 00:40:44.010 bad news. In other words, if you're sowing to 00:40:44.010 --> 00:40:46.250 the negative, if you're sowing to your flesh, 00:40:46.250 --> 00:40:49.630 it will grow. If you're sowing to the good news, 00:40:49.730 --> 00:40:51.869 you're sowing to the spirit, it will grow. What 00:40:51.869 --> 00:40:57.940 you sow will definitely grow. Grow. Different 00:40:57.940 --> 00:41:00.960 seeds have different germination times and some 00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:03.440 of the people we love most are the most stubborn. 00:41:06.980 --> 00:41:11.260 But what we sow will definitely grow. How many 00:41:11.260 --> 00:41:13.619 of you know that you are in the Kingdom today 00:41:13.619 --> 00:41:16.559 because someone prayed for you? Put your hand 00:41:16.559 --> 00:41:18.420 up as high as you can and then have a look around 00:41:18.420 --> 00:41:23.090 because just be encouraged. Prayer works. Prayer 00:41:23.090 --> 00:41:27.010 works. My dad got saved because of a praying 00:41:27.010 --> 00:41:30.190 grandmother. The grandmother prayed and prayed 00:41:30.190 --> 00:41:33.210 and prayed and prayed for my dad, who got more 00:41:33.210 --> 00:41:36.070 and more and more rebellious and atheistic. She 00:41:36.070 --> 00:41:39.250 sent him Bibles. He destroyed them, got rid of 00:41:39.250 --> 00:41:42.690 them, burnt them, etc. At the age of 30, grandmother, 00:41:43.010 --> 00:41:46.730 well and truly dead, he got thoroughly born again. 00:41:48.949 --> 00:41:53.590 Guess what? Your prayers outlive you. They become 00:41:53.590 --> 00:41:59.469 those little hound dogs that pursue people. So 00:41:59.469 --> 00:42:02.449 come on, terrorise some people with your prayers. 00:42:03.750 --> 00:42:06.190 Release some hound dogs, some bloodhounds of 00:42:06.190 --> 00:42:09.090 him. You see, isn't that fantastic? There was 00:42:09.090 --> 00:42:13.489 my dad, age 30, set to make it in every way. 00:42:14.650 --> 00:42:17.789 And he suddenly, thoroughly got born again. You 00:42:17.789 --> 00:42:20.940 know how he got born again? Crazy story. The 00:42:20.940 --> 00:42:23.840 Mormons came knocking on his door. Not a very 00:42:23.840 --> 00:42:26.619 good topic at the moment, I know. What with all 00:42:26.619 --> 00:42:30.559 your Republican, Democratic, you know... etc. 00:42:30.719 --> 00:42:33.420 But listen, this is a redemptive story in the 00:42:33.420 --> 00:42:35.880 middle of it all. The Mormons came across to 00:42:35.880 --> 00:42:38.000 England, to Nottingham University where my dad 00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:40.539 was working, started knocking on the door. My 00:42:40.539 --> 00:42:42.480 dad opened the door because they were American, 00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:45.139 let them in, because he wanted to come to America. 00:42:45.360 --> 00:42:48.780 So he did a deal with them. You can talk 45 minutes 00:42:48.780 --> 00:42:54.179 of your... And then you have to talk to me for 00:42:54.179 --> 00:42:57.599 an hour and a half about America. So they did 00:42:57.599 --> 00:43:01.969 their 45 minutes about his... stuff that he called 00:43:01.969 --> 00:43:04.769 some language I can't say on a Sunday morning 00:43:04.769 --> 00:43:11.420 and then as he began listening to them He thought, 00:43:11.679 --> 00:43:13.539 oh, I remember some stuff from Sunday school, 00:43:13.579 --> 00:43:15.800 and he's a scientist and a debater. He thought, 00:43:15.900 --> 00:43:18.320 well, I might as well spice it up. So when they 00:43:18.320 --> 00:43:20.539 went away, he agreed to see them for six weeks. 00:43:20.579 --> 00:43:22.760 He went up in the attic, rummaged around, found 00:43:22.760 --> 00:43:25.500 my mum's old Bible, began reading it. So the 00:43:25.500 --> 00:43:28.880 next time they came with all his BS, as he called 00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:32.260 it, he could give them his good forget. But the 00:43:32.260 --> 00:43:34.710 problem was he began reading the Bible. and nobody 00:43:34.710 --> 00:43:37.710 warned him it's a very dangerous book and before 00:43:37.710 --> 00:43:40.389 anything had happened the Bible had got him he 00:43:40.389 --> 00:43:43.170 got born again the Mormons came back said oh 00:43:43.170 --> 00:43:45.769 I've got born again and they said some words 00:43:45.769 --> 00:43:53.050 I most probably can't repeat and they left isn't 00:43:53.050 --> 00:43:56.150 that fantastic so there we are my dad got born 00:43:56.150 --> 00:44:01.429 again by the Mormons God can use anything anyhow 00:44:01.429 --> 00:44:05.349 anywhere because guess what What a man sows he 00:44:05.349 --> 00:44:08.630 will reap and what you sow will definitely grow. 00:44:09.489 --> 00:44:15.389 Come on Jesus, it's breakthrough time. And so 00:44:15.389 --> 00:44:19.349 we discover that something's going to grow. Proverbs 00:44:19.349 --> 00:44:23.150 20 verse 4 says this, a slugger does not plough 00:44:23.150 --> 00:44:27.769 in season so at harvest time he looks but he 00:44:27.769 --> 00:44:32.510 finds nothing. Why have I put that one in there 00:44:32.510 --> 00:44:35.130 because you see not praying is the most stupid 00:44:35.130 --> 00:44:40.849 thing you can do I Don't mean to be silly, but 00:44:40.849 --> 00:44:44.630 I mean Let me illustrate it like this. I was 00:44:44.630 --> 00:44:47.949 at a conference and this wonderful girl She's 00:44:47.949 --> 00:44:50.130 in sort of mid -20. She came out and I could 00:44:50.130 --> 00:44:53.369 see from her face. She wasn't well impressed 00:44:53.369 --> 00:44:57.710 She's oh, I don't know nothing works for me. 00:44:57.730 --> 00:45:00.539 So I said Well, what have you been trying to 00:45:00.539 --> 00:45:02.739 see?" And she said, well, it's okay for everyone 00:45:02.739 --> 00:45:04.639 else. You know, God's got his favorites, but 00:45:04.639 --> 00:45:06.980 nothing breaks through for me. So I said, well, 00:45:06.980 --> 00:45:09.360 what are you wanting to happen? She said, well, 00:45:09.360 --> 00:45:12.380 I'm the only one saved in my family and not a 00:45:12.380 --> 00:45:15.840 single person's got saved. So I said, okay, that's 00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:18.659 tough. So I said, talk to me. How are you praying 00:45:18.659 --> 00:45:20.880 for it? She said, prayer, why should I do that? 00:45:21.280 --> 00:45:25.400 And I said, hello, girl. I said, look, if I'm 00:45:25.400 --> 00:45:30.179 in my house at home, And I go out into my yard 00:45:30.179 --> 00:45:33.480 and I want to go picking some apples. And then 00:45:33.480 --> 00:45:36.119 I come into my kitchen and I'm in a real bad 00:45:36.119 --> 00:45:38.420 mood and attitude because it's just not fair. 00:45:38.739 --> 00:45:40.840 You know, the garden out there is a mess. Nothing 00:45:40.840 --> 00:45:45.679 ever grows. I don't even have apples. And I want 00:45:45.679 --> 00:45:47.559 to make apple pie but I haven't even got any 00:45:47.559 --> 00:45:50.840 apples. And then you think, well, your first 00:45:50.840 --> 00:45:52.400 question would be to me, well, what are you doing 00:45:52.400 --> 00:45:55.710 to your apple tree? Yes. Have you put any, you 00:45:55.710 --> 00:45:57.590 know, fertiliser around it? Have you sprayed 00:45:57.590 --> 00:45:59.650 it? You know, why are your apple trees so bad? 00:45:59.789 --> 00:46:01.769 Well, you know, my neighbour next door, their 00:46:01.769 --> 00:46:03.889 tree has got so many apples, it's touching the 00:46:03.889 --> 00:46:06.289 ground. And in my garden, I haven't got one apple. 00:46:06.409 --> 00:46:08.650 It's just not fair. God's got favourites. How 00:46:08.650 --> 00:46:11.130 come my garden has no apples? My neighbour's 00:46:11.130 --> 00:46:13.789 garden has every apple made in the world, and 00:46:13.789 --> 00:46:17.969 I have none. And she said to me, well, I don't 00:46:17.969 --> 00:46:19.510 get your point. I said, well, the point is I 00:46:19.510 --> 00:46:21.690 never planted an apple tree, so I should get 00:46:21.690 --> 00:46:25.210 over it. Do you get what I'm saying? If we've 00:46:25.210 --> 00:46:27.670 never planted an apple tree, why should I expect 00:46:27.670 --> 00:46:30.670 to walk out in my yard and get apples? If I've 00:46:30.670 --> 00:46:33.849 never prayed, why should I walk out in my yard 00:46:33.849 --> 00:46:36.869 and expect God to answer prayer? Hello is a bit 00:46:36.869 --> 00:46:40.570 of a no -brainer to me. The worst thing you can 00:46:40.570 --> 00:46:45.110 do is not pray. It's not so much about the technicality 00:46:45.110 --> 00:46:49.570 of it all, but if you don't plough in season, 00:46:50.289 --> 00:46:51.949 at harvest time, of course you'll find nothing. 00:46:52.699 --> 00:46:55.300 What are the biggest things you want to see breakthrough? 00:46:55.980 --> 00:46:57.980 What are those things you want to see happen? 00:46:58.260 --> 00:47:00.320 Do you want to see your kids marry excellent 00:47:00.320 --> 00:47:02.679 people? Well, then begin praying right now. God, 00:47:02.820 --> 00:47:05.099 are you calling in the best partners for my kids? 00:47:05.239 --> 00:47:08.599 I pray that I'm going to have great granddaughters, 00:47:08.860 --> 00:47:13.360 great grandsons. I pray. So, if you don't sow, 00:47:13.380 --> 00:47:16.699 it cannot grow. If you don't plant some apple 00:47:16.699 --> 00:47:19.480 trees, don't then get bad tempered with God and 00:47:19.480 --> 00:47:21.420 the church when you don't have apples in your 00:47:21.420 --> 00:47:24.909 yard. Do you get what I'm trying to say? But 00:47:24.909 --> 00:47:29.269 so many of us, the devil has so frozen us that 00:47:29.269 --> 00:47:31.670 it seems logical, well, God's not fair to me. 00:47:31.730 --> 00:47:33.690 No, I want to say break the sound barrier in 00:47:33.690 --> 00:47:36.030 Jesus' name. Break the sound barrier in Jesus' 00:47:36.090 --> 00:47:38.929 name. God, I really want to ask that you do this. 00:47:39.170 --> 00:47:42.849 If you hit, if you aim at nothing, you hit it. 00:47:44.369 --> 00:47:46.849 So just begin to ask God, God, help me pray. 00:47:48.150 --> 00:47:52.170 Teach me to pray. Give me a new tenacity. to 00:47:52.170 --> 00:47:55.250 take that loaded shotgun of prayer and begin 00:47:55.250 --> 00:47:58.750 to aim it at a few people with love, compassion, 00:47:59.590 --> 00:48:02.769 mercy, discernment, and then let something grow. 00:48:03.570 --> 00:48:06.510 And then finally, just two things I want to finish 00:48:06.510 --> 00:48:09.659 with. I just feel that God, as I was just praying, 00:48:09.940 --> 00:48:12.980 as you begin to pray, He wants to give you legacy 00:48:12.980 --> 00:48:15.780 and family lines. I feel He wants to particularly 00:48:15.780 --> 00:48:18.920 put blessings upon marriage. And I'm going to 00:48:18.920 --> 00:48:22.280 read a scripture that maybe for some of us we 00:48:22.280 --> 00:48:26.059 react to. But I want to just explain it. Let's 00:48:26.059 --> 00:48:29.420 read 1 Peter chapter 3, 7 to 9. Will you read 00:48:29.420 --> 00:48:33.760 it with me? Husbands, in the same way, be considerate 00:48:33.760 --> 00:48:36.699 as you live with your wives. Treat them with 00:48:36.699 --> 00:48:40.639 respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with 00:48:40.639 --> 00:48:44.420 you of the gracious gift of life so that nothing 00:48:44.420 --> 00:48:49.480 will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, 00:48:49.840 --> 00:48:53.179 live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, 00:48:53.780 --> 00:48:56.849 lovers, brothers. be compassionate and humble 00:48:56.849 --> 00:49:02.150 do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult 00:49:02.150 --> 00:49:06.789 but with blessing because to this you are called 00:49:06.789 --> 00:49:11.230 so that you may inherit a blessing isn't that 00:49:11.230 --> 00:49:15.409 a fantastic scripture in other words if you want 00:49:15.409 --> 00:49:17.789 to have a great prayer life and great reward 00:49:17.789 --> 00:49:20.329 and great inheritance keep a happy atmosphere 00:49:21.480 --> 00:49:24.719 And if you want your prayer life in your marriage, 00:49:24.719 --> 00:49:27.960 in your home, to really be fruitful, then have 00:49:27.960 --> 00:49:30.420 an atmosphere of consideration. I just want to 00:49:30.420 --> 00:49:33.199 unpack that little line there. Husbands, in the 00:49:33.199 --> 00:49:34.960 same way, be considerate as you live with your 00:49:34.960 --> 00:49:38.360 wives. Treat them with respect as the weaker 00:49:38.360 --> 00:49:41.500 partner. Now, some people really hate that verse 00:49:41.500 --> 00:49:44.019 because they go all women's lib and lie. How 00:49:44.019 --> 00:49:46.400 dare they say because I'm a woman I'm weak? No, 00:49:46.559 --> 00:49:49.679 it doesn't mean weak as in the sense of lesser. 00:49:49.980 --> 00:49:53.000 If you go to the Greek, there is nothing in the 00:49:53.000 --> 00:49:55.760 Greek that says all husbands treat your wife 00:49:55.760 --> 00:49:59.739 as a lesser person. That isn't the sense. If 00:49:59.739 --> 00:50:03.280 you go to the Greek, it literally means a more 00:50:03.280 --> 00:50:06.679 fragile vessel. It literally is talking about 00:50:06.679 --> 00:50:10.400 the physical frame of a woman. And if you go 00:50:10.400 --> 00:50:12.679 back to third world culture, and you've got to 00:50:12.679 --> 00:50:15.960 remember, I grew up in India. You often see the 00:50:15.960 --> 00:50:18.619 picture of the man walking out in front with 00:50:18.619 --> 00:50:21.800 not a thing in his hand, the dear wife behind, 00:50:22.059 --> 00:50:24.599 with the water pot stacked three, with the, you 00:50:24.599 --> 00:50:26.980 know, bundles this side, bundles this side, and 00:50:26.980 --> 00:50:29.980 she's like the third donkey in the line, carrying 00:50:29.980 --> 00:50:32.980 everything on her, and the husband's just the 00:50:32.980 --> 00:50:35.599 cool dude at the front. And come on, hurry up, 00:50:35.659 --> 00:50:38.449 hurry up! You know, what's your issue? And you 00:50:38.449 --> 00:50:41.269 see the whole atmosphere here of Peter is, now 00:50:41.269 --> 00:50:44.829 come on husbands, create an atmosphere of respect. 00:50:45.809 --> 00:50:49.309 Understanding that there are pressures and weights 00:50:49.309 --> 00:50:53.030 that you could put on your wife that is not kind. 00:50:53.610 --> 00:50:57.750 And if you create a kind atmosphere, then actually 00:50:57.750 --> 00:51:01.230 that very atmosphere accelerates your prayers. 00:51:01.469 --> 00:51:04.210 How many of you men would like a real acceleration 00:51:04.210 --> 00:51:08.159 in your answers to prayer? Create an atmosphere 00:51:08.159 --> 00:51:11.039 of consideration. Right there it says, if you 00:51:11.039 --> 00:51:16.179 teach them with consideration, hinderance to 00:51:16.179 --> 00:51:17.940 your prayer is suddenly going to lift off. Isn't 00:51:17.940 --> 00:51:21.260 that an awesome thing? And you see, we can even 00:51:21.260 --> 00:51:23.719 have some of that sense in our culture. Shut 00:51:23.719 --> 00:51:26.940 up, woman. Know your place, woman. And maybe 00:51:26.940 --> 00:51:29.440 we'd never dare say it, but it's sometimes in 00:51:29.440 --> 00:51:34.239 our head and our attitude. Delete it quickly. 00:51:34.460 --> 00:51:36.780 Because God wants to accelerate your prayer. 00:51:37.440 --> 00:51:42.179 And final scripture. I believe this is an incredible 00:51:42.179 --> 00:51:45.559 prayer for our legacy as families. Is it coming? 00:51:45.679 --> 00:51:51.780 Isaiah 59. There it comes. Read it with me. You 00:51:51.780 --> 00:51:54.480 see, I believe God wants to give you this scripture. 00:51:55.719 --> 00:52:01.340 Isaiah 59. me this is my covenant with them says 00:52:01.340 --> 00:52:06.280 the lord my spirit who is on you and my words 00:52:06.280 --> 00:52:10.300 that i have put in your mouth will not depart 00:52:10.300 --> 00:52:14.360 from your mouth or from the mouths of your children 00:52:14.360 --> 00:52:18.940 or from the mouths of your descendants from this 00:52:18.940 --> 00:52:23.079 time on and forevermore says the lord how many 00:52:23.079 --> 00:52:27.579 say that's a great scripture So why don't you 00:52:27.579 --> 00:52:29.880 prophesy? Sow that. Tell me you want to sow that 00:52:29.880 --> 00:52:33.840 in your family line. What you sow will grow. 00:52:34.539 --> 00:52:36.699 And say, Father, I just by faith today, going 00:52:36.699 --> 00:52:39.159 to take that scripture over our household, over 00:52:39.159 --> 00:52:41.179 our family line. And Father, I'm going to sow 00:52:41.179 --> 00:52:43.860 that in the ground. And I believe that what we 00:52:43.860 --> 00:52:49.000 sow grows. You see, there's my grandmother. I 00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:51.679 only really found out the full story about my... 00:52:51.900 --> 00:52:54.199 grandmother, my great grandmother, actually my 00:52:54.199 --> 00:52:57.840 dad's grandmother, she got totally blasted in 00:52:57.840 --> 00:53:03.360 the Welsh revival. And in that atmosphere of 00:53:03.360 --> 00:53:05.780 the Welsh revival, she got on her face and she 00:53:05.780 --> 00:53:07.360 prayed and prayed and prayed for her family. 00:53:07.599 --> 00:53:12.079 She saw none of them come to Jesus in her lifetime. 00:53:12.719 --> 00:53:17.880 All of them have come to Jesus since. So my great 00:53:17.880 --> 00:53:21.539 grandmother got blasted by God in the Welsh revival. 00:53:21.760 --> 00:53:25.059 I love Jesus. My brother David loves Jesus. My 00:53:25.059 --> 00:53:28.239 brother Duncan loves Jesus. All my kids love 00:53:28.239 --> 00:53:30.860 Jesus and follow him. All Duncan's three kids, 00:53:31.119 --> 00:53:33.719 Katie, Emily and Zach, love Jesus and are going 00:53:33.719 --> 00:53:36.840 full blast. All David's kids, Eleanor and Zach, 00:53:36.960 --> 00:53:39.619 are going full blast to God. And now my kids 00:53:39.619 --> 00:53:42.219 have got married, both married Christians and 00:53:42.219 --> 00:53:46.619 had their children. They're only three in one 00:53:46.619 --> 00:53:49.739 but I've already told you and Jesus told them 00:53:49.739 --> 00:53:51.679 and told the world They're gonna love God for 00:53:51.679 --> 00:53:53.920 the rest of this. Come on. Let's reverse every 00:53:53.920 --> 00:53:57.599 curse in Jesus name. Why do you stand with me? 00:54:04.719 --> 00:54:07.460 If you are interested in hearing other podcasts 00:54:07.460 --> 00:54:12.159 or contacting Life Bible Church, go to www .lifebiblechurch 00:54:12.159 --> 00:54:16.940 .org or call us at 541 -995 -8282.