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Asa's Prayer · Stornoway Free Church of Scotland - Sermons

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We're reading in 2 Chronicles chapter 14.
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And we read again at verse 11.
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And Asa cried to the Lord his God,
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O Lord, there is none like you to help
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between the mighty and the weak.
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Help us, O Lord, our God.
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For we rely on you, and in your name
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we have come against this multitude, O Lord.
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You are our God.
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And let not man prevail against you.
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We're continuing maybe a little on our theme
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that we had last week when we were thinking
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about the need of prayer.
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This evening we were looking at a prayer of this man, Asa,
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who cried out to the Lord in this time of need.
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And have you been blessed in prayer
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since we met last week?
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Have you found yourself continuing in the construction work
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of God's kingdom and building,
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being part of that building work, that construction work,
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by crying out to the Lord in prayer?
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Many of you will have been maybe refreshed
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and blessed in times of prayer.
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Many of you, like myself, would be encouraged in prayer,
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but also finding ourselves maybe struggling in prayer as well.
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I'm wondering what our prayers are doing.
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We go through so many different emotions
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and the ups and downs when it comes to being a people
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who are praying to God.
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But I trust above all that you are all a praying people,
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praying for one another,
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praying for the cause of Christ,
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praying for God's people far and wide,
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for his kingdom to come.
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But imagine this for a moment.
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If all of your prayers that you've offered up to God
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were written down in a book
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and it was free for anyone to come and read this book,
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to read your prayers as you've offered them up to God,
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how comfortable would you be with that?
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How comfortable would you be with other people
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hearing or reading the prayers that you've offered up to God?
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At a prayer meeting, we come together,
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we gather together for public worship of God
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and we hear prayers offered up in public.
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You'll hear ministers praying,
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you'll hear men being called upon to pray.
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But is that the way we always pray?
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When you hear a minister praying,
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do you think that's the way he prays
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when he's at home by himself?
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When you hear others come up to pray,
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do you think, well, that's how they must pray at home?
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And you're wondering to yourself,
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maybe that's the way I should pray in my own quiet times
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and maybe not to be quite as open as I am.
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And if you've ever prayed with someone else,
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maybe just two of you together,
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you pray maybe in a different way,
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a very different way to what you pray
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in your own quiet time.
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In your own times when it's,
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the word says when you go into your closet,
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you close the door behind you
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and you offer up your prayer to God.
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I'm sure for most of us,
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that quiet time of prayer
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will be quite different in many ways
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to praying in public.
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It will be far more personal,
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far more honest,
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far more open with God
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in our quiet time of prayer.
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The things that we dare and utter to anybody else
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will offer up to God.
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We'll pour out our hearts more readily before him.
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So how would you feel
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if someone saw those prayers?
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You may be afraid of people seeing them,
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but no doubt if somebody else saw your prayers written down,
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it would be an encouragement to think,
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it's not just me.
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I'm not the only one who has these thoughts
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or who struggles in these ways.
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I'm not alone.
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And that's the wonder of reading the scriptures
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and reading through God's word
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and how many personal prayers you see recorded for us.
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Very open prayers,
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very honest prayers,
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prayers offered up in times of joy,
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prayers offered up in times of sorrow and struggle
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and all of these different kinds of situations.
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Many of the Psalms that we sing,
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they are prayers offered up to God
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and you read through them.
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And the reason we love the Psalms often so much
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is because we relate to them.
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They speak to us in a very personal way
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where you see the Psalmist honest and open before God.
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And it's amazing just how many prayers you read
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throughout the scriptures.
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Just even as we read here,
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this one verse,
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a prayer offered up by Asa.
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It's not a long prayer.
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It's not full of big words.
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And yet it's such a powerful and appointed prayer as well.
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You think of some of Jesus's prayers recorded for us
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in the scriptures.
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And sometimes we may be surprised by them.
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And when we see his humanity,
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you think of the prayer he offered up in Gethsemane
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when he was praying to his father,
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that if it'd be possible,
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this cup would pass him by.
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But he said,
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but not my will,
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but yours be done.
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And you start seeing just the battle that was there,
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the conflict that was there,
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even for our Lord Jesus Christ and his humanity.
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And there's such a blessing in us,
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for us,
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in these for us to read
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and to see the reality and the power of prayer.
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And as we continue to go forward here
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as a people of God,
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as we continue to look around us
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and as we continue to seek to go forward
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in the work of God's kingdom,
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resuming many of the things
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that have been put on hold the last while,
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great encouragement when we see things
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starting up once again.
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As we continue to go forward,
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continuing with the ongoing work of the gospel
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in many different ways
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that didn't stop the preaching of the word
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and prayerful people.
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As we think of going forward to
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and reaching out maybe in new ways
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with the gospel,
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none of these things will be blessed
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apart from our praying people.
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That is key to everything that we do.
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The most important part of our work
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in the kingdom of God
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is to make sure our relationship with God
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is right,
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individually and collectively.
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We see that as you read on
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into chapter 15 here.
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When Azariah came to Asa
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and said to him,
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Hear me, Asa,
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unto all Judah and Benjamin.
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The Lord is with you
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while you are with him.
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If you seek him,
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he will be found by you.
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But if you forsake him,
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he will forsake you.
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So there's real challenge
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and encouragement there for us
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to be a people
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who always keep our focus towards God,
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to seek the Lord always in this way.
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As somebody once said,
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we don't pray for the work of the church.
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Prayer is the work of the church.
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They're not separated.
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They go hand in hand.
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And we are to labor in prayer,
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to go on in prayer,
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in perseverance,
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even through the great challenges
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and the times we feel maybe discouraged in prayer
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and we struggle in prayer.
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It is a labor,
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but we are to go on in that.
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We're remembering,
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as Asa says here,
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that our God reigns.
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He cried out to the Lord,
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O Lord,
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there is none like you to help.
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And that is why we come to him.
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So as we see Asa here,
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success or otherwise,
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and it's not dependent on him
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or the powers of the people
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or the armies,
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but the power of the Lord
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who reigns with them.
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We see in verse two
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at the beginning of this chapter
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that Asa's reign
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began with getting his priorities right.
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Just the beginning of the first seven verses
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in this chapter
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just gives us an overview
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of the initial 10 years of Asa's reign.
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It was a time of peace.
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It was a time when he got rid of everything
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that was wrong in the land,
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all the different idols
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and false worship that was there.
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He put it away.
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And there's a time of peace
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because the Lord was with them.
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The land is still ours,
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it says,
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because we have sought the Lord,
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our God,
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it says in verse seven,
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and he has given us peace
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on every side.
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The Lord gave them
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this time of peace.
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But then as we go on,
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and as you see in
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beginning at verse nine and 10 there,
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you see Sarah,
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the Ethiopian,
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came out against them
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with an army
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of a million men
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and 300 chariots.
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So an army arises
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against their nation.
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And when trouble comes,
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he, Asa,
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and the people,
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they are ready to trust
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in God.
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Even when in maybe their eyes
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initially,
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victory would seem
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so far removed
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because of the great numbers
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they're coming up against.
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Almost two against one
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and they've got
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300 chariots as well.
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They were a powerful army.
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Asa had,
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as it says,
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mighty men of valor.
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But even in that,
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there would have been fear
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going up against
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these Ethiopians.
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But he's ready to trust God
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and he's ready to lead
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the people
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in this way
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of trusting
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and committing
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their ways
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to God.
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And as a people,
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that is what we want
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to do
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going forward
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as well.
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To be a people
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who are trusting
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in God
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and looking
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towards God.
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We do not do anything
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in our own strength.
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And so as we look
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to God's help
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and blessing,
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we continue
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to go forward
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praying unto God.
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Praying as Asa
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here prays
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to the God
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who reigns,
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to the God
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who is good,
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to the God
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who is powerful.
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He cried to the Lord
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his God,
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O Lord,
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there is none
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like you.
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That is
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dependence
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upon God.
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And so we look
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at this passage
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this evening
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and three things
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to see about Asa
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and the prayer
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that he offers
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up here.
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First thing is
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there's a sense
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of him feeling
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powerless.
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And the second thing
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is he cried
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out.
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And the third thing
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is he went
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to battle.
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So these three things
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just want to see.
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He felt,
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first of all,
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powerless
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in many ways.
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And maybe
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you would see
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this as a sign
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of weakness.
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When you think
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of people,
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even God's people
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in the scriptures
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having a sense
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of feeling
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powerless,
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it's not
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a weakness
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because it is
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a great
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acknowledgement.
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And when we
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feel weak,
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when we feel
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powerless,
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it's not a
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weakness in
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ourselves to say,
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well,
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now I have
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to go to
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God because
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I cannot
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deal with
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this by
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myself.
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It's more
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a weakness
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to have that
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kind of attitude
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because it
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shows we're
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not depending
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on God
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from the
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first place.
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If we are
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thinking we
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can deal
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with things
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ourselves
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and in
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our own
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strength,
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and then
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if need
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be,
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go to
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God,
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we've
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got things
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the wrong
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way around.
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And what
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Asa teaches
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us here
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is that
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even when
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there is
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great times
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of peace
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and great
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times of
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blessing,
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when that
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is interrupted
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as it is
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here for
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Asa and
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the people
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of Judah
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as the
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Ethiopian
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army arises
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against them,
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it goes from
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peace to
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imminent war.
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And what
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do they do?
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What do they
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do in this
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situation?
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outnumbered
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and the
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task of
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gaining
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victory in
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this battle
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may seem
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a long
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way away.
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What can
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I do?
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Is maybe
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what Asa
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would be
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asking.
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Well,
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he knows
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what to
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do.
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He knew
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what he
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needed to
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do.
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He knew
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what his
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people needed
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as well.
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He went
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to God
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in prayer.
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prayer.
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One person
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put it
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like this,
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he grasped
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at God's
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skirts and
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prayed.
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There's an
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image there
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of just
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coming and
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bowing before
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God.
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Coming and
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right down,
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kneeling before
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God, grasping
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at his skirt
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and pleading
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with God.
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And that's
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what made
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all the
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difference.
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John Bunyan
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once said,
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you can
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do more
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than pray
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after you
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have prayed,
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but you
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cannot do
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more than
14:11
pray until
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you have
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prayed.
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It's about
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getting things
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the right
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way around.
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If you
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look in
14:19
the New
14:20
Testament,
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there's
14:21
that account
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when the
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woman who
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had an
14:24
issue of
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blood,
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who had
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for 12
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years been
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struggling on
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with this,
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trying everything
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that she
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could think
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of herself.
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She'd spent
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everything,
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she'd given
14:34
everything,
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trying to
14:35
find healing
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for this
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issue.
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But what
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did she
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do?
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Where did
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she find
14:40
healing?
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It was
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by coming
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and touching
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the hem
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of the
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garment
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of the
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Lord
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Jesus.
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Why?
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Because
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she knew
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he had
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power.
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And that
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is how
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we are
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to come.
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When we
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feel
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powerless,
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as we
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often do,
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we are
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reminded that
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coming to
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God is
15:03
where we
15:03
will find
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help and
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strength and
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peace and
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comfort.
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Asa says,
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Lord,
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there is
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none like
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you.
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There is
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no one
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who compares
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to you.
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And that
15:21
is still
15:22
the case
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today.
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There is
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none who
15:26
can help
15:27
us like
15:28
the Lord
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can.
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It's a
15:31
beautiful song
15:32
of faith,
15:33
the hymn
15:33
It Is
15:34
Well
15:34
With
15:35
My
15:35
Soul.
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It was
15:38
written by
15:38
Horatio
15:39
Spafford.
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And you
15:42
think to
15:42
yourself when
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you sing
15:44
this hymn
15:45
or when
15:45
you hear
15:46
this hymn,
15:47
it is
15:47
well with
15:48
my soul.
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That it
15:50
must have
15:51
been written
15:51
in a
15:52
situation
15:52
where
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everything
15:53
was going
15:54
well.
15:56
Well,
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it was
15:57
far from
15:58
it for
15:59
Horatio
15:59
Spafford.
16:01
Spafford
16:02
lived in
16:02
America.
16:04
He was
16:04
an acquaintance
16:05
of D.L.
16:06
Moody.
16:07
He was a
16:08
successful
16:09
lawyer.
16:11
And he
16:11
got on
16:12
well in
16:12
life.
16:13
Much
16:13
went well
16:14
for him
16:15
initially.
16:17
But his
16:17
faith was
16:18
tested on
16:19
many
16:20
occasions.
16:22
First in
16:23
1870,
16:24
when he
16:25
and his
16:25
wife lost
16:26
a son at
16:27
the age
16:28
of four
16:28
to scarlet
16:29
fever.
16:31
Then a
16:32
year later,
16:33
they were
16:33
wiped out
16:34
financially
16:34
by the
16:36
great
16:36
Chicago
16:37
fire in
16:37
1871.
16:40
In a
16:40
very short
16:41
space of
16:41
time,
16:42
his and
16:43
their
16:43
family's
16:44
life was
16:45
turned
16:45
upside
16:46
down.
16:48
In
16:49
recovering
16:49
from these
16:50
tragedies
16:51
that had
16:51
come upon
16:52
them,
16:52
Horatio
16:53
decided that
16:54
they needed
16:54
to get
16:55
away for
16:55
a time.
16:56
He decided
16:57
to take
16:57
his family
16:58
on holiday
16:59
to England
16:59
and that
17:00
later on
17:00
he would
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join up
17:02
with
17:02
Dwight
17:03
Moody.
17:03
He was
17:04
on an
17:04
evangelistic
17:05
tour there.
17:07
They planned
17:08
to go
17:08
away as
17:10
a family
17:10
but at
17:10
the last
17:11
minute,
17:12
a business
17:13
situation
17:13
prevented
17:14
Horatio from
17:15
going away
17:15
with his
17:16
wife and
17:17
his children.
17:17
So he
17:17
sent them
17:18
ahead and
17:19
that he
17:19
would join
17:20
them soon
17:20
after.
17:22
So they
17:22
boarded a
17:23
ship,
17:24
his wife
17:24
and his
17:25
daughters.
17:26
And they
17:28
went on
17:28
ahead without
17:29
him but
17:29
the ship
17:30
that they
17:30
were on,
17:31
it collided
17:32
with another
17:33
ship and
17:34
sank.
17:36
And it
17:36
claimed
17:36
226
17:39
lives,
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including
17:41
the lives
17:42
of all
17:43
four of
17:44
their young
17:45
girls.
17:46
His wife
17:47
survived and
17:49
sent a note
17:50
to her
17:50
husband simply
17:51
saying,
17:52
saved
17:53
alone.
17:54
she'd
17:56
made her
17:57
way to
17:57
England,
17:58
she'd
17:58
been
17:58
picked
17:58
up.
18:00
Horatio
18:00
boarded
18:00
another
18:01
ship to
18:01
go and
18:02
meet his
18:02
wife.
18:04
And as
18:04
they were
18:04
passing
18:05
through the
18:06
seas where
18:07
the ship
18:08
had sunk,
18:10
being aware
18:10
of the
18:11
tragedy that
18:12
had unfolded,
18:13
it was in
18:14
that situation
18:15
that he went
18:15
back to his
18:16
cabin and
18:17
wrote these
18:18
words of
18:19
the hymn.
18:19
the tragedy
18:21
he'd
18:22
experienced in
18:24
that he was
18:24
able to
18:24
pen the
18:25
words,
18:26
when peace
18:27
like a
18:27
river
18:27
attendeth
18:28
my way,
18:29
when sorrows
18:30
like sea
18:31
billows
18:31
roll,
18:32
whatever my
18:33
lot,
18:34
there has
18:34
taught me
18:34
to say,
18:36
it is
18:36
well,
18:37
it is
18:37
well with
18:38
my soul.
18:39
To be
18:40
able to
18:41
say that
18:41
in the
18:42
midst of
18:43
such tragic
18:44
circumstances
18:45
shows a
18:46
real power,
18:47
a dependence,
18:48
and a
18:48
faith in
18:49
God.
18:51
Do we
18:52
have that
18:53
faith to
18:53
come to
18:55
God in
18:55
prayer?
18:57
Asa could
18:58
easily look
18:58
and say,
18:59
look at the
19:00
battle we
19:01
are in,
19:02
look at the
19:02
numbers in
19:03
our army,
19:04
they are
19:05
double our
19:06
army's
19:06
strength,
19:08
we are so
19:08
small,
19:10
they are so
19:10
vast,
19:12
but no,
19:13
in his
19:14
powerless
19:14
feeling,
19:15
he comes
19:16
to God
19:17
what could
19:19
he possibly
19:19
do,
19:20
the same
19:21
as what
19:21
we can
19:22
do,
19:23
come to
19:24
him,
19:26
and that's
19:27
what we
19:27
see.
19:28
Secondly,
19:28
he cried
19:29
out to
19:31
God,
19:32
feeling
19:32
helpless
19:32
and powerless
19:33
in verse
19:34
11,
19:35
Asa's
19:35
prayer is
19:35
a prayer
19:36
of faith,
19:38
not long
19:39
as I said
19:39
before,
19:40
but just
19:41
a dependence
19:42
on God
19:43
in these
19:44
words.
19:44
Asa cried
19:45
to the
19:45
Lord is
19:46
God,
19:46
O Lord,
19:48
there is
19:48
none like
19:49
you to
19:49
help.
19:50
Between
19:50
the mighty
19:51
and the
19:51
weak,
19:52
help us,
19:53
O Lord
19:54
our God,
19:54
for we
19:55
rely on
19:57
you.
19:58
There is
19:59
a real
19:59
sense of
20:01
dependence
20:02
in these
20:03
words.
20:03
Lord,
20:04
there is
20:05
none like
20:05
you.
20:06
We depend
20:06
on you.
20:09
Maybe it
20:09
doesn't come
20:09
across as
20:10
clearly here
20:12
before us,
20:12
but what
20:13
Asa is
20:14
saying here
20:15
is,
20:15
Lord,
20:16
in the
20:17
scheme
20:17
of things,
20:19
this is
20:19
nothing to
20:20
you.
20:21
We may
20:22
be outnumbered
20:23
two to
20:23
one,
20:25
but Lord,
20:25
I know
20:26
who I'm
20:26
coming to.
20:27
I know
20:28
what you
20:28
have done
20:29
and I
20:30
know what
20:30
you are
20:30
able to
20:31
do.
20:32
And I
20:32
am
20:32
coming
20:33
recognizing
20:34
that.
20:35
There is
20:35
none
20:35
like you,
20:37
O Lord.
20:37
We rely
20:38
on you
20:39
because you
20:41
are able.
20:43
And the
20:43
reality is
20:44
we come
20:45
to God
20:46
and we
20:46
see things
20:47
through our
20:47
own eyes.
20:48
We see
20:49
things as
20:50
impossible.
20:52
We see
20:52
things that
20:53
we cannot
20:54
change.
20:55
And rightly
20:56
so,
20:57
because there
20:57
are things
20:58
that only
20:58
God can
20:59
change.
21:01
And that's
21:01
why we
21:02
come and
21:02
cry to
21:03
God,
21:04
saying,
21:04
just like
21:05
Asa,
21:06
there is
21:06
none like
21:07
you who
21:08
is able
21:08
to help
21:09
between the
21:09
mighty and
21:10
the weak.
21:11
Help us,
21:12
O Lord,
21:12
our God,
21:13
but we
21:14
rely on
21:14
you.
21:16
A short
21:17
prayer,
21:18
but a
21:19
powerful
21:19
prayer.
21:21
John Knox
21:22
is credited
21:24
as saying
21:24
this,
21:25
a man
21:26
with God
21:27
is always
21:28
in the
21:29
majority.
21:31
And here
21:31
is Asa,
21:32
he may be
21:33
outnumbered
21:34
two to
21:34
one with
21:35
his army
21:35
as he
21:36
looks around,
21:36
but with
21:38
God,
21:39
he's in
21:39
the majority.
21:41
With God
21:41
on his
21:42
side,
21:43
he is
21:43
able to
21:44
go forward.
21:46
John Knox,
21:47
though he had
21:47
many supporters
21:48
during the
21:49
Reformation in
21:50
Scotland,
21:51
he so often
21:52
seemed to
21:53
stand alone
21:54
at crucial
21:55
times.
21:56
But he was
21:56
able to
21:57
say that
21:58
a man
21:59
with God
22:00
is always
22:01
in the
22:02
majority.
22:02
and we
22:04
remember
22:05
as God's
22:06
people,
22:07
we have
22:07
him on
22:07
our side.
22:10
Romans 8
22:10
was mentioned
22:11
in prayer
22:12
earlier.
22:13
Romans 8
22:14
is such a
22:15
wonderful
22:15
passage that
22:16
reminds us
22:18
of God
22:19
with us
22:20
in every
22:20
circumstance.
22:22
The
22:23
Christian's
22:23
confidence
22:24
is there.
22:26
Just read
22:26
verse 31
22:28
of Romans 8.
22:29
What then
22:30
shall we
22:30
say in
22:31
response to
22:32
these things?
22:33
If God
22:34
is for
22:34
us,
22:35
who can
22:36
be against
22:37
us?
22:37
He who
22:38
did not
22:38
spare his
22:39
own son,
22:40
but gave
22:41
him up
22:41
for us
22:42
all,
22:42
how will
22:43
he not
22:43
also along
22:44
with him
22:44
freely give
22:46
us all
22:47
things?
22:49
God
22:50
with us.
22:52
That is
22:53
our cry
22:54
to the
22:55
Lord of
22:56
the impossible.
22:57
With us
22:58
it is
22:59
impossible
23:00
so often,
23:01
but with
23:02
God it
23:03
is possible.
23:05
We don't
23:05
just teach
23:06
our children
23:07
these things.
23:08
We don't
23:09
just share
23:10
stories from
23:10
the Bible
23:11
with young
23:12
people saying
23:13
you believe
23:14
that.
23:15
We share
23:16
it with
23:16
them saying
23:17
this is
23:18
what I
23:18
believe.
23:19
This is
23:19
the God
23:20
I know.
23:23
Asa
23:23
says we
23:24
rely on
23:25
you and
23:26
your name.
23:27
God
23:28
is that
23:29
what we
23:29
do?
23:30
Is that
23:31
the confidence
23:31
that we
23:32
have as
23:33
we come
23:34
to God
23:35
in prayer?
23:36
Back in
23:37
the 16th
23:38
century,
23:39
the man
23:39
Walter
23:40
Raleigh,
23:41
he once
23:42
made a
23:42
request to
23:43
Queen Elizabeth
23:44
I.
23:45
They had
23:46
a good
23:47
working
23:48
relationship
23:49
apparently.
23:50
Now,
23:50
without going
23:51
into the
23:51
details of
23:52
everything that
23:52
they were
23:52
doing,
23:53
whether it
23:53
was right
23:53
or wrong,
23:54
this story
23:55
was said
23:55
that once
23:56
he came
23:56
to the
23:57
Queen
23:57
making a
23:58
request,
24:00
and the
24:00
Queen
24:00
replied to
24:01
him,
24:02
Raleigh,
24:03
when will
24:03
you stop
24:04
coming to
24:05
me begging?
24:07
Walter
24:08
replied to
24:09
her and
24:09
saying,
24:10
when your
24:10
majesty
24:11
stops
24:12
giving,
24:14
and his
24:14
request
24:15
was granted.
24:18
But when we
24:19
think of
24:20
God,
24:22
is God
24:23
ever going
24:23
to say
24:24
to us,
24:25
when will
24:26
you stop
24:26
coming to
24:27
me begging?
24:29
Because he
24:30
will never
24:30
stop giving.
24:33
He gives
24:34
us abundantly
24:35
more than
24:36
we ask or
24:37
imagine.
24:38
So we
24:39
don't stop
24:40
coming.
24:41
We come
24:42
begging,
24:43
knowing we
24:44
can depend
24:44
on him.
24:46
Asa cried
24:48
out to
24:48
the Lord,
24:49
and that
24:50
is what
24:50
we are
24:51
to do.
24:53
The final
24:54
thing we
24:54
see here
24:55
is what
24:56
he did.
24:57
He went
24:58
to battle.
25:00
It's not
25:01
enough to
25:02
just cry
25:02
and to
25:03
have
25:04
confidence.
25:06
We have
25:06
courage
25:07
to go
25:08
forward.
25:09
Asa's
25:10
confidence
25:11
is seen
25:12
in what
25:13
he does.
25:15
He cried
25:15
out to
25:16
the Lord
25:16
pleading
25:17
for help.
25:18
and then
25:19
he went
25:20
in to
25:21
battle.
25:22
And so
25:23
the Lord
25:23
it says
25:24
in verse
25:24
12,
25:25
defeated
25:26
the
25:26
Ethiopians
25:27
before Asa
25:28
and before
25:28
Judah,
25:29
and the
25:30
Ethiopians
25:31
fled.
25:32
And Asa
25:32
and the
25:33
people who
25:33
were with
25:34
him pursued
25:35
them.
25:36
They went
25:37
forward.
25:40
Asa's
25:40
confidence
25:41
in God
25:42
leads to
25:43
courage.
25:44
help us
25:46
O Lord
25:46
our God
25:47
for we
25:47
rely on
25:48
you and
25:49
in your
25:50
name we
25:51
come against
25:52
this multitude.
25:54
He is
25:54
depending
25:55
on God.
25:57
Never mind
25:58
though it is
25:58
two against
25:59
one.
26:00
We come
26:01
against this
26:02
vast army
26:02
as part
26:04
of your
26:05
battle.
26:07
Are we
26:07
ready to
26:08
believe in
26:09
what we are
26:09
asking God
26:10
for and to
26:11
go and
26:12
fight for it
26:13
ourselves.
26:14
If we
26:15
have God
26:16
with us,
26:17
let us be
26:17
bold going
26:19
forward.
26:20
Bold in
26:21
prayer but
26:22
also bold
26:23
in all that
26:24
we do in
26:26
his name.
26:27
Remembering
26:28
that he
26:28
will help
26:29
us.
26:30
And just
26:31
notice what
26:32
Asa's prayer
26:34
says.
26:35
Again, this
26:36
is how we
26:36
are to see
26:37
the cause
26:38
of God.
26:40
He says
26:41
at the end
26:42
of his
26:42
prayer,
26:44
let not
26:45
man prevail
26:47
against you.
26:50
This is his
26:51
prayer to
26:52
God.
26:53
Let not
26:54
man prevail
26:55
against you.
26:58
You see,
26:59
Asa's not
27:00
concerned about
27:01
himself losing
27:03
this battle.
27:05
He's concerned
27:06
about the
27:07
cause of
27:08
God.
27:08
God.
27:09
And that's
27:10
our greatest
27:11
concern too.
27:13
Not that
27:13
we'll win
27:14
victory.
27:16
Not that
27:16
we'll do
27:17
anything that
27:17
will give
27:18
us glory.
27:19
But that
27:20
we see the
27:21
cause of
27:21
Christ and
27:23
his name
27:23
lifted up.
27:25
Let not
27:26
man prevail
27:27
against you.
27:29
We may
27:30
fall.
27:31
We may
27:32
fail in
27:32
the things
27:33
that we
27:33
do.
27:33
But we
27:35
still cry,
27:35
Lord,
27:36
let not
27:37
man prevail
27:38
against you.
27:40
May your
27:40
cause go
27:42
on.
27:43
And you
27:43
think of
27:44
people,
27:45
many people
27:46
who have
27:46
suffered in
27:47
the name of
27:47
Christ.
27:48
Whether it's
27:49
covenanters or
27:51
missionaries,
27:52
people have
27:52
gone far and
27:53
wide in the
27:54
name of
27:54
Christ.
27:54
And many
27:55
people look
27:55
and say,
27:56
but they
27:57
failed.
27:59
They were put
28:00
to death.
28:01
They lost
28:02
their lives.
28:03
They made
28:03
no impression
28:04
in the
28:05
land that
28:06
they went
28:06
to.
28:07
And yet
28:08
how often
28:08
over time
28:09
you see
28:10
their sacrifice
28:11
blessed.
28:13
It's not
28:14
about
28:14
ourselves or
28:16
anyone of
28:17
God's people
28:18
getting glory,
28:19
but that
28:20
glory be
28:21
to God
28:22
in his
28:23
time.
28:24
So are
28:25
we willing
28:25
to fight?
28:27
Are we
28:28
willing to
28:29
go forward?
28:31
Let me
28:31
leave you
28:32
with this
28:32
illustration.
28:35
A preacher
28:35
was once
28:36
watching a
28:37
stonemason
28:38
working away
28:39
on a large
28:39
slab of
28:40
marble.
28:41
And he
28:42
was amazed
28:42
how the
28:43
hammer and
28:43
chisely
28:43
used didn't
28:44
destroy this
28:45
piece of
28:46
marble,
28:47
but instead
28:47
brought something
28:48
beautiful from
28:50
something so
28:51
hard and yet
28:52
so delicate.
28:54
As the
28:54
preacher watched
28:55
the stonemason,
28:56
he said,
28:56
I wish I
28:58
could deal
28:58
such life
29:00
changing
29:00
blows to
29:01
many stony
29:02
hearts that
29:03
I see
29:03
around me.
29:05
The
29:05
stonemason,
29:07
whether it
29:07
was through
29:08
his wit
29:10
or through
29:11
his understanding
29:12
of the role
29:13
of the preacher,
29:14
said,
29:15
maybe you
29:15
could if
29:16
you work
29:17
like me
29:17
on your
29:19
knees.
29:21
It's a
29:22
challenge.
29:23
And I
29:25
rebuke
29:25
probably to
29:26
that preacher
29:26
a reminder
29:28
about where
29:29
our work
29:30
is done,
29:31
on our
29:32
knees
29:32
before God.
29:35
Asa
29:36
cried out
29:37
to the
29:38
Lord his
29:38
God,
29:39
O Lord,
29:40
there is
29:40
none like
29:41
you to
29:41
help.
29:43
And that
29:43
is where
29:44
we cry
29:45
to.
29:46
For Asa
29:47
says,
29:48
we rely
29:48
on you
29:50
and in
29:51
your name
29:51
we have
29:52
come
29:52
against
29:53
this
29:53
multitude.
29:54
So may
29:55
we go
29:56
forward
29:56
with Asa's
29:57
prayer
29:58
and our
29:59
dependence
29:59
on God,
30:01
trusting in
30:02
him that
30:03
he is able
30:04
to help.
30:06
May God
30:06
bless his
30:07
word to
30:08
us.
30:11
We'll sing
30:12
to God's
30:12
praise in
30:13
Psalm 70.