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Why Do We Pray? · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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  Welcome to NECF sermons.
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  Each message here is designed to uplift and strengthen you in your walk with God.
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  Don't miss out, stay with us until the end for our rewarding experience.
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  Let's dive right in.
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  Like I said, we look at people that pray a lot as though they have problems, their issues
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  are beyond solving.
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  Maybe it's money that they need.
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  Maybe this church is praying too much, they lack finances or maybe he's yet to get married
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  or she's yet to get married.
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  There's a problem that is making them to take time and pray.
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  But is that the reality of the believer?
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  Is that what the believer is ought to be doing?
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  That you come to God when you have problems and issues.
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  You're only praying because that's your avenue of solving your problems, solving the things
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  that you need.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Solving the issues that you need.
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  It's important as well, the Bible encourages us to pray for our needs.
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  It encourages us to pray for needs.
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  What we need in this life, you need food, you need shelter, you need your school fees
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  to be paid.
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  It encourages you to pray about these things.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  It encourages you to pray about these things.
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  The Bible readily tells us what we should pray for.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  It readily tells us what we should pray for.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Mark chapter 11.
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  Mark chapter 11 verse 24.
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  Therefore, I say to you, whatever thing you ask when you pray, believe that you receive
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  them and you will have them.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So clearly, the Bible tells us to pray for the things that we need, for the things that
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  we need.
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  We should ask God for things that we need.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Whatever thing you ask when you pray, so you have financial problems, you are sick, it
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  encourages us to pray for one another, to bear one another's burden.
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  So it tells us that whatever we ask when we pray, we will receive it.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Matthew 21.
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  Matthew 21, 21 and 22.
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  So Jesus answered and said to them, as suddenly I say to you, if you have faith and do not
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  doubt, you will not only do what was done to the victory, but you will also say to this
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  mountain, be moved and be cast into the sea and it will be done.
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  And whatever thing you ask in prayer, believe in, you will receive.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So we see another place where He is telling us to pray for things.
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  To believe that God is going to meet our needs.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  To believe that God is going to meet our needs.
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  When we pray, we believe that God is going to meet our needs.
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  Matthew chapter 7, verse 7.
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  Ask and it will be given to you.
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  Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So we see here that the Bible encourages us to ask God for things.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  You know there are some people that you are just friends with them because you don't really
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  ask them anything.
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  The day you start asking them for anything, they might say, you have become a liability
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  to them and then they want to stay away from you.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  God is not like that.
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  He is saying, ask me for the things that you need.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Is that the reason why we pray?
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  When you go to the epistle, you will find out that it gradually reduces on the things
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  that we pray for.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So the prayer changes form as we go to the epistle.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Compared to the four gospels.
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  In the four gospels, you will see, ask for this, ask for that.
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  You will see God telling you to ask things for things.
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  But when you go to the epistle, those things begin to reduce.
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  It looks like they are no longer asking for things.
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  They are not necessarily asking for material things.
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  You will find places where it also asks for things, but it reduces compared to what you
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  see in the four gospels.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Philippians 4.
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  So we will see here as well where he talks about asking for things as well.
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  Philippians 4.
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  Philippians 4 verse 6.
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  He said, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
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  let your request be made known to God.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So he tells us, let us make our request be known to God.
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  Let our request be known to God.
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  First John chapter 5 verse 14.
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  Now this is a confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will,
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  he hears us.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Third John 2.
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  Okay.
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  Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul
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  prospered.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So we see here as well, he's telling us to pray.
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  Oh, sorry.
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  He's praying that we prosper in all things and be in good health even as our soul prospered.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  But you observe that as you go further, that the prayer for things begins to get a bit
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  harder, right?
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  If you want to pray for things, you might go to Matthew.
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  The things begin to reduce.
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  There is a different tone in what prayer is or what you really should be asking for or
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  what you should be praying for.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Compared to what we see in the four gospels, the tone of prayer changes, right, as we enter
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  the epistle, compared to the things, to something else.
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  Maybe the tone changes from things to something else.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Philippians chapter 1, verse 4 to 6.
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  It's always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all rejoin for the fellowship
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  in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident that this very thing, that
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  He who has begun a good work in you, we complete it on today, the day of Jesus Christ.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  And then let's go to verse 9 to 11.
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  And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and in all
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  the time.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So we see here that the tone of prayer starts to change.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  He's no longer asking you, okay, let's pray for the things that you need.
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  He's saying to you that your love may abound more and more.
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  Your love may abound more and more in knowledge.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Verse 10.
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  That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere without offense until
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  the day of Christ, 11, and be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which are by Jesus
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  Christ, to the glory and the praise of God.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  We see that the tone of prayer changes.
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  The tone of prayer changes from things, from the things that you need, which we said is
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  very important.
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  You should do that.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Colossians chapter 1, verse 9 to 12.
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  For this reason also, since the day we had of it, do not cease to pray for you and to
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  ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  These people, do they need food?
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  Do we think that these people have needs?
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  Do we think they have needs?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  But it's praying for them that they be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom
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  and spiritual understanding.
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  Verse 10.
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  That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good
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  walk and increasing in the knowledge of God.
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  And strengthen with all might according to his glorious power for all patience and long
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  suffering with joy.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So we see here that the tone of prayer is changing from things to something much more
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  spiritual, to something that has ethanal value.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  To something that is, you can relate to.
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  Something that is, that should be found in your identity.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Colossians 4, verse 2 to 4.
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  It's a continual, earnestly prayer, being vigilant in need with thanksgiving.
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  Let's go back to 2.
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  It's a continual, earnestly prayer.
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  What should you be praying for?
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  What are you continually, earnestly in prayer?
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  It's a continual, earnestly prayer.
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  Let's stay in that.
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  While praying also for us, that God will open to us a door for the world to speak the mystery
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  of Christ, for which I am also in chains.
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  Verse 4.
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  That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  As I ought to speak, the prayer changes.
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  The tone of prayer changes.
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  Ephesians 1, verse 15 to 19.
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  Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your love for
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  all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
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  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of
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  wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.
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  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his
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  calling, what is the riches of his glory, of his inheritance in the sense, verse 19
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  on.
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  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power towards all who believe according to
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  the walking of his mighty power.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Again, we see that the tone of prayer changes.
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  Something much more spiritual, something away from my food, something away from my rent,
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  something away from the necessary things that I need.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  To something that has much more value.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Then Ephesians 6, verse 18 to 20.
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  Praying always with all prayers and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to the end with
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  all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.
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  And for me that all trance may be given to me that I may open my mouth boldly to make
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  known the mystery of the gospel.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Verse 20 now.
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  For which an ambassador in chain that in need I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So do we see what he's praying for now?
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  Did we see the things that the epistle tell us to pray about or to begin to pray about?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Remember, we're trying to see why we pray.
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  So the epistle was written for men who have the spirit of God in them.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  The epistle was written to men who have the spirit of God in them.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So their needs are different.
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  They have a need.
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  Like I said, I'm not trying to say that you don't pray for your...
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  I've explained in the beginning that we should absolutely pray for all the things we need.
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  God encourages us to do that.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  The man who is born of God has a different need.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  He has something much more higher than just praying for his food.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  He has something much more higher than just praying for his daily needs.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So we drive our prayer life from the epistle.
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  That is why you can pray for one hour.
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  That is why you can pray for two hours.
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  Because what you're praying for is not necessarily what you can see or what is tangible to you
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  as your need.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Why do we pray?
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  James chapter one verse five.
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  If anyone lack wisdom, let him ask of God who give to all, liberally and without approach,
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  and it will be given to him.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  It's a pray for wisdom.
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  Pray for wisdom.
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  The man who is born of God has a different need.
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  This prayer is talking to people who were in trials.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So he's telling people who are in trials and tribulations to pray for wisdom.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  That's the background of this.
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  That these people to whom have trials and tribulations.
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  Do you have trials and tribulations?
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  Do you have trials and tribulations?
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  Okay.
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  So he says pray for wisdom.
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  Pray for wisdom.
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  But let's look at the life of Jesus.
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  Let's look at the life of Jesus as an example of why we pray.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  We follow the prayer life of Jesus to see why we pray.
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  So Jesus as we know, he spends his time praying.
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  He goes to the mountain.
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  He goes to the wilderness.
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  He prays.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  In some occasions to do something, to perform a miracle, he does thank God.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Why did he pray?
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  Why did he pray?
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  Let's see some of those examples of where he was praying.
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  Matthew chapter 14 verse 23.
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  And when he ascended the mountain to the way, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
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  And when the evening came, he was alone there.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  He sent the multitude away and he went to the mountain to pray.
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  What was he praying about?
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  Why was he praying?
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  You know this is not a disciple.
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  You know this is not Peter.
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  It was not Peter that was going to the mountain to pray.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  And then chapter 1 verse 35.
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  Now in the morning, having rose a long while before daylight, he went out and departed
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  to a solitary place and there he prayed.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So he goes out very early in the morning somewhere, very quiet place, where nobody is, alone,
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  and he prays.
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  The other place we saw that he went to the mountain.
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  This time around he goes to a quiet place early in the morning.
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  And that, the previous verse we read tells us that now the evening has come.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So his prayer was not in that, okay, maybe I'm here early in the morning.
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  He sent the multitude and he went to pray.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So he can pray any time of the day.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  This time around he wakes up early to go and pray.
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  Luke chapter 16, sorry, Luke chapter 6 verse 12.
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  Now he came to pass in those days that he went out to the mountain to pray and continue
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  all night in prayer to God.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So we see another example here that he went out to pray and he stayed all night.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  We follow the example of Jesus.
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  He went out to the mountain and he continued in prayer to God all night.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So the person who is praying all night to God, who is God, right?
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  What do you think he's doing?
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  Do you think he's thinking he's just checking his time, you know?
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  Why is he still getting, why is it too long?
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  What are we doing here?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  He prays all night.
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  Luke chapter 9 verse 8.
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  Sorry, Luke chapter 9 verse 18.
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  And it happened as he was alone praying that his disciples joined him and he asked them,
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  saying, who did the crowd say that I am?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  As he was praying alone, we see another place where he was praying.
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  So the question is that what was Jesus praying or why was he praying?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Why was he praying?
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  Because this is Jesus who became, who was God, who became man, right?
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  John chapter 1 verse 14.
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  They say, the world became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory
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  as they only begotten, or the Father, full of grace and truth.
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  Luke chapter 4, 18 and 19.
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  Luke chapter 4, 18 and 19.
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  They say, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.
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  This is when he went to the temple and he opened the scrolls and he began to talk about
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  himself.
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  Say, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to
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  the poor.
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  He has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive and recover
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  the sight of the blind, to serve at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable
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  view of the Lord.
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  Acts chapter 10 verse 8.
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  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, with the power.
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  Who went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil?
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  For God was with him.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Why was he praying?
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  He says that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, with power.
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  He has power, he has the Holy Spirit and he went about healing those who were possessed
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  for God was with him.
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  So was he praying to get more power?
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  Was he praying to get more power?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Why did he pray?
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  What was his prayer point?
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  What was his prayer about?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So prayer itself is more important than the things we pray for.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Prayer itself is more important than the things we pray for.
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  So to come to church and say we have one hour to pray is more important than what, who has
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  a need here that we should pray for?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  The one hour to pray is more important than what we are requesting for.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  The act itself is more important than it because we see an example of Jesus with power, with
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  everything.
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  Right?
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  He still went further to pray.
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  He still continued to pray.
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  He was still praying.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Somebody of that nature should, you know, if you don't have understanding, would think
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  that he should not be praying.
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  What does he need?
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  Because we have been taught that prayer is as a result you come to pray because you have
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  a need.
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  You come to pray because there is your school fees is hanging somewhere.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  You come to pray because it is time to get married.
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  You come to pray because somebody is sick.
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  You come to pray because they are chasing you.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  But we see that Jesus had everything and yet he prayed.
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  Why was he praying?
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  What was his prayer point?
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  He spent all night praying.
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  What was he praying about?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  What was he praying about?
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  And I'm sure that you would also have the same question.
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  You who is, who just comes and when they are praying, you are looking.
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  I'm sure you have this question.
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  What are these people praying about?
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  What are they doing?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  What are we doing here?
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  What is this?
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  Why are we taking so long?
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  Just keep speaking in tongues.
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  What are we doing?
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  Are we just finished?
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  Praise the Lord.
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  Do you know that, I'm sure you know, do you know that the things that you pray for, right?
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  Other people get it without praying.
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  Do you know that your current need now, right, it could be your school fees.
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  It could be, it could be that you want something from the Lord.
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  Other people get it without praying.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  That's why I said to you that prayer is more important than the things that you are asking
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  for.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So he's desiring something from your heart as you come to pray.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  As we said, we saw places where the Bible readily tells us, there are things, go and
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  pray for things.
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  Pray for this, pray for that, pray for your need.
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  I'm going to provide it for you.
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  Pray for this, pray for that.
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  I will meet them for you.
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  You will receive them.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  He says ask and you will receive.
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  Seek and you will find.
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  God will provide you with your needs.
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  But prayer, when you come to God to pray, God requires something much more than just
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  meeting your needs.
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  There is something more meaningful about prayer than just supplying your needs.
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  It's a thing that the Gentiles ask of him.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So what is the difference between you and the Gentile?
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  What is the difference between you and somebody who doesn't know God?
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  If you will come to God and get these things and the Gentile will not come to God and they
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  will get it.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  So he desires something from your heart as you come to pray.
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  So that shows that it is not the things that we get in prayer that is the most important,
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  but the prayer itself.
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  Praise the Lord.
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  It is not the things that we get from prayers that is the most important, but the prayer
• 22:49
  itself.
• 22:51
  So when you come to pray, you're not thinking, I'm coming to take.
• 22:55
  Praise the Lord.
• 22:56
  There is something much more important than that.
• 23:00
  Praise the Lord.
• 23:01
  Because the Gentiles can get it without praying.
• 23:06
  So that's why people would be writing so many things and saying so many things online about
• 23:12
  how people are taking a lot of time in church.
• 23:16
  They are taking too many hours to pray.
• 23:19
  You should be more productive than that.
• 23:21
  Your life should be progressing.
• 23:23
  Look at other countries.
• 23:24
  Look at what is going on and all of that.
• 23:27
  Praise the Lord.
• 23:28
  And if you see Pastor Victor's recent post, he was talking about something similar, right,
• 23:35
  of how people are complaining about how much time people take in church.
• 23:41
  But let's say, according to Pastor Victor, let's say that you spend two hours every day
• 23:47
  in church.
• 23:48
  Every day in church, right?
• 23:52
  This will mean that you are spending just 10% of your time in the entire week.
• 23:57
  That's what it means.
• 23:58
  What are you doing with 90%?
• 23:59
  Do you know you can sit down by the riverside?
• 24:03
  What's the name of that place?
• 24:07
  By that spring, for two hours, you can sit down there every day and you will feel refreshed.
• 24:14
  Do you know that?
• 24:17
  Or you can go for a coffee with your friend and sit down.
• 24:20
  You just discuss, talk for two hours, three hours, or go for a movie, three hours.
• 24:26
  Why are you not factoring that time into productivity?
• 24:29
  Praise the Lord.
• 24:31
  Because they miss the point of prayer.
• 24:33
  Those who say such things, they miss the point.
• 24:36
  Praise the Lord.
• 24:37
  They miss the point of prayer.
• 24:40
  We pray because prayer changes things, right?
• 24:46
  Prayer changes things.
• 24:48
  It changes circumstances.
• 24:51
  Praise the Lord.
• 24:53
  The most important thing about prayer, the most important reason why you pray is because
• 24:59
  prayer changes you.
• 25:01
  Praise the Lord.
• 25:02
  Why would Jesus take all night and is praying?
• 25:08
  Why would he encourage them to wait one hour?
• 25:10
  Can they keep watch for one hour?
• 25:15
  Because the most important thing that prayer does is that it changes you.
• 25:20
  Praise the Lord.
• 25:21
  God says he's going to meet your needs.
• 25:24
  You believe that.
• 25:25
  You have tested it.
• 25:26
  Even as maybe you think to yourself, okay, I was not really following God like that,
• 25:33
  but your needs were still met.
• 25:35
  The time you came and prayed, it still happened.
• 25:38
  The prayers that...
• 25:40
  To tell you how is it, the prayer that you never mentioned, God fulfilled them.
• 25:45
  The things that you wished in your heart is like, God, I wish...
• 25:48
  And then he came to pass.
• 25:49
  You'll be asking yourself, why I didn't pray this prayer?
• 25:51
  I didn't open my mouth to pray about it.
• 25:55
  God knows your heart and he answered those prayers.
• 25:57
  So the most important thing about prayers, the reason why you spend this long time in
• 26:03
  prayer is that it changes you.
• 26:05
  And again, I said that it is to people who are born of God.
• 26:11
  Praise the Lord.
• 26:13
  It is to people who are born of God.
• 26:15
  It's a practice of people who are born of God.
• 26:19
  If prayer does not change you, if you come and you spend three hours, four hours, and
• 26:25
  you are not changed, you have missed the point.
• 26:30
  You have missed productive time.
• 26:33
  If you want to say that, you have missed productive time.
• 26:37
  Praise the Lord.
• 26:38
  You have missed productive time.
• 26:39
  You have missed the point of prayer.
• 26:41
  Prayer, the idea is that it changes you.
• 26:45
  It's what changed you.
• 26:46
  It's what makes you an effective believer.
• 26:51
  Praise the Lord.
• 26:52
  So the reason why we pray is more about us than the things that we ask for.
• 26:57
  It is more about us.
• 26:59
  It's more about you.
• 27:02
  The reason why you take me 20 minutes to pray is about you than the things you ask for.
• 27:08
  Praise the Lord.
• 27:14
  The prayer about things would go very little to how it changes you.
• 27:20
  Praise the Lord.
• 27:21
  Because sometimes if you get what you need, you will run away.
• 27:24
  There's some people that they come when they have issues, they come and say, Pastor, this
• 27:28
  is what I have.
• 27:29
  This is what I have.
• 27:30
  You help them, you instruct them, you help them, and then they find a solution and they
• 27:36
  run.
• 27:37
  You never see them again until the next time there's an issue.
• 27:40
  Praise the Lord.
• 27:43
  But if you know that that communication is about your life improving, you will stay.
• 27:49
  If you know that that relationship is about your life becoming better, becoming a better
• 27:54
  person, more effective, you will stay.
• 27:57
  You will not use the person that run.
• 27:58
  Praise the Lord.
• 28:00
  So the reason for prayer is more about you than the things that you are asking about.
• 28:05
  It is more about you than the things you are asking about.
• 28:09
  Praise the Lord.
• 28:11
  Luke chapter 5 and 6.
• 28:14
  Sorry, it's his theme.
• 28:17
  Luke chapter 5 verse 16.
• 28:19
  So he himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
• 28:25
  He's talking about Christ.
• 28:27
  He often withdraws into the wilderness and he prays.
• 28:32
  See he oftens.
• 28:33
  What does often mean?
• 28:36
  So he frequently goes away to pray.
• 28:40
  Praise the Lord.
• 28:41
  He frequently goes away to pray.
• 28:44
  Jesus often withdraws.
• 28:46
  This is his practice as we have seen from the scriptures we have read that he prays
• 28:50
  in the morning, he prays in the night, he prays in the daytime, he prays through the
• 28:55
  night.
• 28:56
  And he said this is his habit that he often withdraws and he prays.
• 29:00
  Praise the Lord.
• 29:01
  And we still ask him why is he praying?
• 29:07
  How often do you withdraw to pray?
• 29:10
  Or you don't even, you don't have a set apart.
• 29:14
  There is no set apart in your life.
• 29:18
  You just, you try to go out, you go to church, you pray in the church and receive the word
• 29:25
  in the church.
• 29:26
  You don't open your notes after the church.
• 29:29
  You don't follow the messages after the church.
• 29:32
  After the church service, my other life continues.
• 29:36
  Praise the Lord.
• 29:37
  You see Jesus, he often withdraws and he prays.
• 29:40
  How often do you withdraw?
• 29:41
  Do you stop all your activities?
• 29:43
  Do you say okay, this period, in this December, right, and some people have really messed
• 29:51
  you up to the level that they would find out oh it's December, you know you have to pray
• 29:56
  into the new year.
• 29:57
  And then that's when you withdraw.
• 29:59
  Because you think that in the new year things might not be the same as this year.
• 30:05
  Or your life might automatically change in the new year.
• 30:09
  Praise the Lord.
• 30:10
  How often do you withdraw to say me, in this month, I'm going to take two days and fast
• 30:18
  and pray.
• 30:19
  Praise the Lord.
• 30:20
  How often do you do that?
• 30:23
  Because that is the life of the believer.
• 30:26
  And we see Jesus who is full of power, who is full of grace and mercy, who is full of
• 30:31
  truth.
• 30:32
  He withdraws.
• 30:33
  This is his usual thing.
• 30:35
  Praise the Lord.
• 30:38
  There is a communion there.
• 30:41
  Like I said, the all night prayer is something that he's not, he will not be looking at
• 30:46
  his time.
• 30:47
  What's going on?
• 30:48
  We have prayed for one hour.
• 30:50
  I think we are done now.
• 30:51
  The only thing is that we continue tomorrow.
• 30:55
  Praise the Lord.
• 30:56
  How often do you withdraw to pray?
• 30:59
  So do not trivialize your setting apart.
• 31:03
  Don't make light of it.
• 31:06
  You need time to pray.
• 31:08
  You need time to withdraw and pray.
• 31:11
  Praise the Lord.
• 31:12
  You need time to withdraw and pray.
• 31:18
  Be weary of anybody who wants to play with that time.
• 31:23
  So the day that you said, this Saturday now, be at home, I'll pray.
• 31:28
  One of your friends will answer, please.
• 31:32
  There's a movie that just came out.
• 31:34
  Or, you know what, let's go to Lefkade.
• 31:37
  Be weary of such people.
• 31:38
  Praise the Lord.
• 31:39
  Because you have set your time to pray and or you have set your time to be with the Lord
• 31:44
  and they have decided to come and take you out of the time that you have set.
• 31:49
  Be weary of such people.
• 31:51
  Run away from them.
• 31:52
  Praise the Lord.
• 31:53
  But I tell you, oh, this guy, why are you fasting?
• 31:56
  You don't want to help your life.
• 31:58
  You're looking very slim.
• 31:59
  You look like somebody who is not.
• 32:01
  I mean, I know there's some people we need to tell that one, right?
• 32:07
  Few people, one or two of them, right?
• 32:10
  But you, somebody's like, why are you fast?
• 32:14
  You have seen you're doing 20 days.
• 32:16
  What are you doing?
• 32:18
  Why?
• 32:19
  You don't like your life.
• 32:21
  You don't want to grow.
• 32:22
  Praise the Lord.
• 32:24
  Be weary of such people who don't encourage you for spiritual activity, who don't encourage
• 32:31
  you to help you grow spiritually, to help you exercise your spirit.
• 32:37
  Praise the Lord.
• 32:38
  Be weary of such people.
• 32:40
  Or maybe when you are trying to fast, that's when you are cooking.
• 32:46
  Praise the Lord.
• 32:49
  Be weary of those housemates.
• 32:54
  As a minister of the gospel, as we know all of us are, right, you need time to withdraw.
• 33:00
  You need time set apart to pray.
• 33:06
  You need time set apart to pray.
• 33:09
  Isaiah 40 and 31 would tell us that he strengthens us, right?
• 33:15
  They that wait upon him, he strengthens them.
• 33:19
  Praise the Lord.
• 33:20
  He gives them strength.
• 33:22
  He gives them strength.
• 33:24
  They will renew their strength.
• 33:26
  That's where you go to renew your strength.
• 33:29
  Praise the Lord.
• 33:30
  Because this life is very challenging.
• 33:33
  The life itself is very, very challenging.
• 33:35
  It has its own challenges, things you don't plan for, things that you might just be on
• 33:40
  your lane and the thing comes to you.
• 33:42
  Praise the Lord.
• 33:43
  Things that you need to pay for.
• 33:44
  There are so many things that would happen.
• 33:46
  You don't have control over those things.
• 33:48
  There's nothing in this world that is designed to make you an effective Christian.
• 33:53
  There's no design in this world that is saying this design is to help you, believer, thrice.
• 34:01
  Praise the Lord.
• 34:05
  Sin comes to you as you go out.
• 34:08
  Praise the Lord.
• 34:09
  Sin comes to you as you go out.
• 34:11
  I remember I was listening to a preacher.
• 34:13
  He was, I don't know what the village was talking about.
• 34:16
  He was saying, you as a believer, you're staying in one village and you're still battling with
• 34:27
  lust.
• 34:28
  Wait until you go to like Brazil, right?
• 34:32
  You might just have to drop whatever you're carrying.
• 34:36
  Like your locality, there are still issues that are, you are battling so many issues.
• 34:40
  Wait until you expose yourself to other different parts of the world.
• 34:45
  Sin comes at you as you go out.
• 34:48
  They're always trying you.
• 34:51
  What are you going to do?
• 34:53
  There's always the presentation of it.
• 34:56
  Praise the Lord.
• 34:57
  They're all around you.
• 34:59
  The presentation of it.
• 35:00
  What are you going to do?
• 35:01
  Praise the Lord.
• 35:02
  So the time set apart is to help you renew your strength.
• 35:07
  They will not go away or your strength can be renewed.
• 35:11
  Praise the Lord.
• 35:13
  They will not go away or your strength can be renewed.
• 35:17
  Praise the Lord.
• 35:20
  Somebody who is battling with, let's say for example, an alcohol addiction.
• 35:24
  Do you think because of you, they will close all the bars?
• 35:28
  For your strength, you can grow in strength.
• 35:35
  Praise the Lord.
• 35:39
  You can grow in strength.
• 35:42
  Do you think that they should take away all the women because you are lost?
• 35:47
  No, it will not happen.
• 35:49
  We reject it.
• 35:54
  Praise the Lord.
• 35:55
  And you can grow in strength.
• 36:00
  Praise the Lord.
• 36:01
  You can grow in strength.
• 36:04
  You can grow.
• 36:06
  Praise the Lord.
• 36:07
  The things should remain where they are.
• 36:08
  You can grow.
• 36:10
  Praise the Lord.
• 36:13
  You can grow in strength.
• 36:18
  So if Jesus could go to the wilderness, if he could go to the mountain, if he could go
• 36:22
  out early in the morning, if he can do so many things to go and pray, somebody who is
• 36:28
  full of grace and truth with God himself, what about you?
• 36:36
  Praise the Lord.
• 36:38
  You can do the same.
• 36:39
  Praise the Lord.
• 36:41
  You can do the same.
• 36:45
  So why was he going to the wilderness?
• 36:49
  Does he not have a house to pray?
• 36:51
  Does he not have, you know, can't he pray in the house?
• 36:54
  Can't he pray where the disciples are?
• 36:57
  He could do that.
• 36:59
  Praise the Lord.
• 37:00
  But he knows that he's more effective, right, when he goes apart.
• 37:07
  Praise the Lord.
• 37:10
  So it's not that the prayer is going to be, sorry, it's not that the prayer itself, let's
• 37:18
  say, when he goes apart, he's going to be more effective than when he's in the house,
• 37:24
  right?
• 37:25
  It's not like your prayer would be less effective if you are in this church now and we are praying
• 37:30
  collectively, right?
• 37:31
  And you praying somewhere in your house.
• 37:36
  It starts, the only thing that happens is that as you go apart, it does change you as
• 37:41
  a person because it is you and God.
• 37:44
  Praise the Lord.
• 37:45
  It changes you.
• 37:46
  Do you have areas of your life where you need change?
• 37:52
  Do you have, do you know areas of your life where you know that change is needed?
• 38:00
  You believe that I can do better than what I am currently now.
• 38:05
  I can be more an effective Christian than what I am right now.
• 38:11
  Are you growing in the Lord?
• 38:13
  Are you growing in the Lord?
• 38:14
  Last year until this year, have you grown?
• 38:18
  Has anything changed about you?
• 38:20
  Has your character improved?
• 38:22
  Have you become more loving?
• 38:24
  Has malice found no place in your heart anymore?
• 38:28
  Has unforgiveness found no place in your heart anymore?
• 38:32
  The things that you are hooked on, the addictions that you had, have they gone away?
• 38:37
  You had them last year, do you still have them today?
• 38:40
  Praise the Lord.
• 38:41
  Are there areas of your life where you need to change?
• 38:47
  Prayer is a tool in which your life can change and will change.
• 38:54
  Praise the Lord.
• 38:55
  What do you, in what ways do you need to change?
• 38:58
  Are you still fighting with your father or your mother or are you still, do you still
• 39:03
  have people that you don't want to speak to?
• 39:10
  Are your desires still what they are previously?
• 39:14
  Like I said, the world will always push its idea to us.
• 39:18
  It will always push the agenda to us.
• 39:21
  There's always pushing of those things and when you buy them, they become your own desire.
• 39:26
  You begin to run with them.
• 39:28
  Are they still the same?
• 39:32
  Praise the Lord.
• 39:33
  Are they still the same?
• 39:36
  Do you need to change?
• 39:37
  There's a book that I have, right?
• 39:40
  It's called, is something how to change or the need to change?
• 39:46
  Praise the Lord.
• 39:47
  Do you need to change?
• 39:48
  Is that something in your life that needs to change?
• 39:50
  Are you saying that you're an effective Christian?
• 39:53
  That people can look at your life and see the glory of God?
• 39:59
  Can your housemates, the people that you live with, testify of the goodness of God in your
• 40:06
  life?
• 40:07
  Praise the Lord.
• 40:08
  He doesn't want you to remain the same.
• 40:10
  Praise the Lord.
• 40:11
  He doesn't want you to remain the same, to have the same old habits.
• 40:17
  Say I'm struggling last year with this and this year I'm still struggling.
• 40:23
  Praise the Lord.
• 40:24
  He has put in you and he has made provision for you to grow, for you to overcome.
• 40:30
  Praise the Lord.
• 40:31
  For you to always overcome.
• 40:34
  Prayer alters your direction.
• 40:36
  You know when you pray that decision will not be the same.
• 40:41
  Praise the Lord.
• 40:42
  Maybe there's some things you want to do.
• 40:44
  You want to go to a country.
• 40:46
  You want to start a relationship.
• 40:48
  You want to travel somewhere.
• 40:50
  You want to make a decision on this or that.
• 40:53
  Have you prayed about it?
• 40:55
  Or in your heart, do you know?
• 40:57
  You know that if I take this thing to God, direction might change.
• 41:02
  Or he might be saying something else and then you say, let me not pray about it.
• 41:07
  You just want to, as you have planned it, you will run with it.
• 41:11
  Praise the Lord.
• 41:14
  Your planning is not, you don't present your planning to God.
• 41:18
  Praise the Lord.
• 41:19
  You don't present, you make your planning, you make your decision, you execute it, you
• 41:24
  run with it.
• 41:25
  Praise the Lord.
• 41:28
  Prayer alters or guides us.
• 41:32
  It alters or guides our direction.
• 41:37
  Like I said, the most important thing about prayer is that it changes you.
• 41:43
  It is you that is changing.
• 41:45
  It is you that is transforming.
• 41:47
  It is you that when you come to prayer, as your God, you are going to change your life.
• 41:54
  It is you that when you come to prayer, as you are coming to pray, weights begin to go
• 42:01
  away.
• 42:03
  Weights begin to go away.
• 42:05
  Bodies begin to go away.
• 42:07
  Or forgiveness begins to leave you.
• 42:10
  Praise the Lord.
• 42:11
  Because you have come to hear, look at and give you strength.
• 42:17
  I always like to read Isaiah chapter 40 because it tells us that even the youth, they will
• 42:23
  grow weary.
• 42:24
  Right?
• 42:25
  To them that supposedly supposed to or should have strength, them will grow weary.
• 42:33
  They say, oh, your strength is in your youth.
• 42:37
  Right?
• 42:38
  They say, them will grow weary.
• 42:40
  They say, but they that weight upon the Lord will renew their strength.
• 42:45
  Praise the Lord.
• 42:46
  They will grow weary.
• 42:47
  They will not have direction.
• 42:49
  They will hold on to substances to numb themselves and keep going with life.
• 42:55
  Praise the Lord.
• 42:56
  When they discover that maybe this life is very difficult, they will find something.
• 43:01
  They will start smoking.
• 43:02
  They will start drinking.
• 43:03
  They will start doing so many things to help me cope with the issues of life.
• 43:09
  I have some people in my building today.
• 43:11
  I want to give one example.
• 43:12
  But they are not in that category.
• 43:14
  So in my house, my wife sometimes, she comes and closes the bathroom door because there's
• 43:19
  always somebody who is smoking something.
• 43:21
  I know he's not a cigarette.
• 43:23
  And he's a very young person.
• 43:24
  I'd be asking him, why do you need to do that?
• 43:27
  You would ask yourself, why does the person need to keep?
• 43:30
  At least if you're an occasional smoker, somebody might understand what's going on.
• 43:35
  But why do you need that?
• 43:38
  One of the reasons could be that he has found out or he knows or he has not found God and
• 43:47
  he's chasing something.
• 43:48
  And the only way to keep chasing what he's chasing is to keep numbing every voice and
• 43:53
  every suggestion that something is right or wrong.
• 43:56
  Praise the Lord.
• 43:57
  So he said the youth will grow weary.
• 44:00
  They will find out that you need God and they don't have God and they will hold on to something.
• 44:05
  Praise the Lord.
• 44:06
  So prayer changes you.
• 44:09
  We appreciate you being here today.
• 44:12
  We hope you carry this word with you throughout your week.
• 44:16
  Don't forget to check the show notes for additional insights.
• 44:19
  Stay connected with us through our website or follow us on social media.
• 44:24
  If you were encouraged, share this message with someone you care about.
• 44:28
  Until next time, stay blessed.