Latest / One Voice Many Conversations / Truth Be Told Ep #005 Importance of specific prayer time. Hosts Mickey & Bethany

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Truth Be Told Ep #005 Importance of specific prayer time. Hosts Mickey & Bethany · One Voice Many Conversations

• 0:03
  SPEAKER_03: Good morning, everyone.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome into another podcast of Truth Be Told.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_03: Today, Bethy and I, we welcome you in.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_03: We want to talk to you today about the importance of prayer today.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know what your prayer life looks like.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_03: I know for myself, it's a work in progress every single day.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_03: I like to pray all the time.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know about you, but um I talk to Jesus all the time, like he's just like right there with me.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_03: He's like my sidekick almost.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_03: But there are times that I know that we need to go to the Lord in prayer for specific needs and specific reasons.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_03: And today I'm really excited about this episode because Bethany has planned out a great lesson for us today, and I'm excited to um jump in and hear everything that she has to offer to us today.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_03: And so, Bethany, how are you this morning?
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: I'm great, thank you.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: Good.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: I'm glad I'm I'm glad you're with us today.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_03: And um, I know you've been working really hard on this lesson, and um, I think we should probably just dive right in and um get started.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_03: What do you think?
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, I'm gonna let you take off with it.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: All right, thank you so much.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: So what is your prayer life like right now?
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Do you pray um just for meals or um you know just when things seem to be getting hard or difficult?
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: There is a lot of things.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_03: I found my oops, I'm sorry.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't mean to interrupt you, but I found that um for myself that um I think I don't know about you, but I have gone through phases where I've caught myself just going through the repetitious routine prayers.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_03: Is that what you're kind of talking about?
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Somewhat, yes.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um now the Bible has so much to talk about um with prayer and how the importance of specific times to pray.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now Matthew says verse seven is part of Jesus um teaching his disciples, and so Matthew says verse seven says, but when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as a heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking, and that's interesting how Jesus would say that back even back then.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: And how much is that still true today?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: I believe that prayer shouldn't be vain repetition.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Prayer needs to be us being dependent on God.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so but not again, not with being repetition, not with just how many words can I fit in a prayer or and yet maybe you don't mean any of the words that's not that will not please God, I don't think.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: And so what is what God wants?
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_03: What what pleases God when I think of um this this verse?
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: I think about when we talk about repetitious prayers, kind of like what you said when we sit down to the to eat, where we say, you know, thank you God for this food or good grub, good meat, getting hungry, let's eat, you know, you know, and and it's and yeah, those are cutesy little prayers, but are they really heartfelt?
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_03: Are they really meaningful?
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_03: Do they have a purpose, or are you just saying it to say it?
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_03: Are you saying it to appease everyone at the table, or do you really mean it?
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_03: And um, I found with repetitious prayer, I love when it talks about um in Matthew 6 7 that um uh when it talks about their much speaking, it makes me think of babbling, you know, like the Tower of Babel.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_03: Look what happened to the Tower of Babel.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_03: So when I think of much speaking, I think of people just babbling on, you know, just rambling on with no point.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_03: There's no point to it.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_03: So what is the point of having a prayer if there's no point to it?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_03: It's a waste of time, our time, God's time, and it's there's no meaning to it, there's no purpose.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that's why God says it when I think about repetitious prayer, some people say, Why is it I pray the same prayer every single day?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_03: That's okay if that prayer is actually a heartfelt prayer.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_03: You're really praying for someone every single day or something every single day.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because like you said, to be dependent on God, that's a huge that is so good that you said that.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_03: I I don't think I've ever heard it said quite like that before.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that that's a really good example on what to do with prayer when um we're praying to God, are we just, you know, we're just going through the motions, or do we really are we depending on God?
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: Are we depending on God to actually bless the food we're eating?
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_03: Because nowadays there's so much garbage in our food, we really need blessings over our food, you know, even if it's just our food, you know.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that that's really important that um as we are talking about, you know, them, you know, and and he and Jesus even calls them heathens.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: If we're praying to God like that, we're he's calling us a heathen.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_03: So he wants us to knock it off.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_03: Stop doing that.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_03: So anyway, I just wanted to bring that point up.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, even as we're talking about prayer, I think it's important that we do invite God into this time.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so um, Mickey, if you would like to pray for this time.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_03: Sure.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_03: I would absolutely, Father God, Lord, we just ask you to just be with us in the midst, Lord.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_03: It says in your word, where two or more are gathered.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_03: You are already there anyway, Lord.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_03: We just ask that you you you come in and just be invited, be a presence, be where we need you to be, Lord.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_03: In this time, why we do this podcast, why we talk about these scriptures, Lord, just just open it up, Lord.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_03: Open up our hearts, our minds, our eyes.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_03: Help us to see the importance behind prayer, that we're not just speaking just to have a conversation, just to um waste your time, God, because we know how valuable time is, Lord.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_03: We just thank you so much for giving us a prayer line to you that we can actually communicate with you and talk with you and and share things with you.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_03: And Lord, I just thank you for this day.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_03: I thank you for everything that you've given us.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_03: I just pray that you just bless every scripture that's shared today, that each scripture can be understood and um and not just understood, but understood beyond a measure, Lord, so that we get it within our hearts and in our minds, God.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_03: And we just thank you for your word.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_03: We thank you for your time, and we just love you in Jesus' name I pray, Lord, amen.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for that.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now, continuing on here about the importance of specific times.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: How many of you the first thing you do when if you set an alarm to go off to wake you up?
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: What's the first thing you tend to do?
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_03: I know what we're supposed to do.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_03: Or what we should do.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_03: Most people do this.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_03: They get their phone, they turn off their alarm, and then they start doing this.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_03: I'm guilty, I've done it.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: And so if you're doing that, then that tells me that you have time to pray.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: You have time to set your mind correctly.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: And so what I've gotten into the routine of doing is before I get up, I pray, and I start my prayer with thanking God for two things that yes, he does automatically, and yet how quickly we tend to forget those things.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: And those two things are thanking him for his protection, and thanking him for how he restrains Satan.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: Now, again, yes, those two things are automatic with him, and yet as I've gotten into that routine, I've noticed that my response to things is different.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not as quick to think negatively about things that come up, or you know, feeling so rushed with things.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: And it truly has helped me to understand just how great God is in his protection, how he restrains Satan over my life, and not just over my life, but over the lives of the people I pray for.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: When I say thank you, God, for your protection over Mickey and over her family, and thank you for how you restrain Satan over them.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: And that to me, that is a great way to help my mind refocus and to not be so quick to give in to Satan's attacks because he does attack and he attacks throughout the day, but he also attacks overnight.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so before I go to sleep is another time that I thank God for his protection over myself.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: I thank God for restraining Satan over myself overnight.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: And even that, I have found that I'm able to get to sleep quicker, and I'm also able to um get to sleep quicker when I would be awake sometime during the night.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: And so um let's now look at some more verses that we can focus on, we can see how prayer is vital and you know, before getting up is vital because it sets our focus right.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: We're not distracted by things that come up.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, how many times in the morning do people get up and they're so focused on, you know, their phone or whatever that Satan sees that and says, Oh, well, man, they didn't pray.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't, you know, they didn't acknowledge God.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so now, oh man, I can have fun with them.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't I don't know that any of us necessarily want that.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: We don't want Satan being like, well, oh man, you didn't pray before you got up, so here you go.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: Let's see how you handle this, and yet, so there is a choice.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: We have to choose to take time.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: And even if you only have one or two minutes before you get up, take in that time to thank God for his protection and thank God for restraining Satan.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: Tells him and tells your mind, okay, I pray, I thank God for this.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's done, it's it's being done throughout the day, and so I don't have to concern myself, right?
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: And so it even if you just have that much time, enough before getting up now throughout the day, as you have more time to spend with God, either in prayer or Bible reading and studying, go for it.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: You can never spend too much time with God.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: You can now you can't spend too much time on other things that ultimately don't matter, and that is one of Satan's ways, I believe, that he gets people to neglect what truly matters.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: But now let's look at Philippians four verses six and seven, and I apologize if I'm hesitating in talking, I'm just getting a verse here.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: I do have a Marmart.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: All right, so Philippians four verse six.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: Let your request be made known unto God for seven, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so why I believe it's important to start the morning before getting up prayer and the before going to sleep prayer time with thanking God for those two things is because Philippians 4 says we are instructed to not only pray, but pray with thanksgiving.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: And again, it's it's not that God has forgotten what he can do.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's that we tend to forget what he does.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I know in the moment of things it's easy to give in to the rush or the impulse to be afraid and scared and that, but that's another reason why it's important, I believe, to thank God for his protection and for restraining Satan, because you can look back on that and say, you know, I prayed for that this morning.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: I thank God for what he's doing through that.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, I'm not gonna allow this circumstance or thought to go any further.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: I reject it, I refuse it, I'm obeying James 4 7, which says submit.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: To God, resist the devil, and he will flee from him.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's one reason I believe thanking God for those two things at those two times is important.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's look at some more verses.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: Let's look at Matthew twenty six forty one.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: Matthew twenty six forty one.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: This verse is in a section where Jesus is talking to some of the disciples that he has with him while he's praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_00: And so verse forty-one, Matthew twenty-six, this is Jesus.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um wow.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know, just just talking about the circumstances surrounding that verse.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's Jesus is about to be crucified and he's telling his disciples watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: No, let's look at that.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_00: See how that relates to today.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: To our various circumstances.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_03: I think in this verse that um where I I love where he talks about our spirit is always willing, but our flesh is indeed weak.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_03: I love that he's letting his disciples know too that he also knows this.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_03: He knows that we're weak in our flesh.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_03: And of course, he knows what he's about to do on the cross for our flesh.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_03: So he definitely knows how weak our flesh is.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_03: But he's also letting his disciples know hey, I'm letting you know, you know, we walk in weakness.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_03: You know, your flesh is weak.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_03: You can be tempted easily.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_03: And so um, even though he's going getting ready to go to the cross um to save us from that weakness, um, I love that he's expressing that he knows of our weakness, willingly outwardly, says, your flesh is weak.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_03: I'm telling you, listen to me.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_03: So I I love that he tells us this, you know, because sometimes we think, oh, we're we have to be bold all the time.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um we are weak.
• 26:09
  unknown: Yeah.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_03: We're made in you know we're we're made in the in a fleshly body, so we are weak, no matter what.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_03: That's why God is our strength, because we are made in that weakness.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_03: So I love that part of this scripture too.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: And even that, to understand God's heart for us, to understand that He He does know that we are weak.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: He does accept us in our weakness.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_00: He He wants to be our strength.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: And even understanding that is to me another powerful reason to thank God for those two specific things that tells him that okay, they they do understand how important my protection is and how that they can't restrain Satan by themselves.
• 27:36
  SPEAKER_00: And yet God is there and he is strong enough always, and so that that is so powerful, I believe.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: Now, another verse staying in Matthew, we have Matthew fourteen, Matthew Fourteen, and verse twenty-three, and when he had said, and when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_00: And when the evening evening was come, he was there alone.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: No this is interesting because how many times today do we go to things overnight?
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, if you're a parent and you have little kids at home and even yourself.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_00: How many times do dreams wake you up or wake your kids up?
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so when I think about the importance of praying before going to sleep, how that protects our minds, how that strengthens us to be like, oh man.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Lord.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for doing overnight the same as you do during the day.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now, for me, as I've um gotten into this routine, I have noticed that I am able to get to sleep faster.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_00: I don't toss and turn and all of that as much as I used to.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: But I also notice that whenever I do wake up overnight, that I am able to get back to sleep faster than two.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: And so again, just to help our minds recognize that okay, we are safe because God is protecting us and God is restraining Satan over us.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: Now, maybe you say, well, isn't that part of his protection?
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, it is.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_00: It is part of his protection, but I I do believe there is importance in thanking him specifically for how he restrains Satan.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_00: Because again, at least for me, and I believe for others, as they would get into a routine, they would notice that I prayed, I thank God for these things, and I'm able to notice differences, positive differences, and so um, and even doing those things, thanking God for how he does those things over the house you live in.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, because uh yeah, Satan is the prince of the power of the air.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_00: And so, yes, again, God is restraining him, Satan, and yet how important is it for us to verbally acknowledge that over our house and even over our various devices, our computers, our laptops, our tablets, our phones and other things as well.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_00: And so let's look at some more verses.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_00: And there prayed.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this is talking about the importance of praying in the morning.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_00: The importance of morning prayer before getting up, before, you know, even checking your various themes, it acknowledges once again to God and you what God is doing, how he's doing what we cannot do, and so even Jesus, when he was here on earth, knew the importance of prayer in the morning, he to even recognize he as the son of God like stop and consider that a while.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_00: The son of God knew the importance of praying in the morning, and even just that understanding that that should help us understand how important our prayer before getting up is.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_00: And again, it doesn't have to be long.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_00: If you only have literally one minute, that's enough.
• 37:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's enough to at least acknowledge to God, okay, they they're inviting me in their day, they're not trying to do it on their own, they're thanking me for what I'm doing.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so then throughout the day, then you can um once again choose to spend those times in further prayer and Bible reading, Bible study.
• 38:03
  SPEAKER_00: And so just again to anchor your mind in what's truly important so that you don't perhaps unintentionally give Satan an advantage of you.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's continue on looking at similar verses Luke eighteen, verse one, Luke eighteen and verse one, and he spake a parable unto them to this end that man ought always to pray and not to faint.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_00: This is another statement I believe that tells us the importance of these two specific times to pray as well as throughout the day.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_00: Why have you ever considered why we faint?
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_00: Not physically faint, but spiritually faint.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we don't say, I think we don't stay connected to the spiritual realm, you know, which is what prayer does.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_03: It keeps us connected to the spiritual realm.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_03: And if we're not staying connected, it's kind of like the other expression they say, fall by the wayside.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_03: You know, you're you're not gonna be um in um in you're not connected, you're unplugged, you know, basically.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_03: Um not get recharged.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, there's a lot of different uh ways to um to speak on it when it says um that we're not to faint, but always pray.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_03: I think that I I love that it says always because um there's many verses in here that that that tell us when to pray.
• 40:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um like Jesus prayed at night, prayed in the morning, he prayed during the day, prayed it all throughout the day.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_03: Um He doesn't care what time of day, um, but it's good to acknowledge sometimes um people I I've met people that just specifically only pray in the morning, or they only pray over their food, like you said in the beginning, or they only pray before they go to bed.
• 41:01
  SPEAKER_03: Now I can lay me down to sleep, pray the Lord my soul to keep, you know.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_03: And and there's nothing wrong with that prayer, that's a teaching prayer that that does hold merit, and God loves that prayer.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, that's why it's in the Bible.
• 41:12
  SPEAKER_03: But um again, if it becomes a repetitious thing and not a heartfelt thing or not a sparing thing.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_03: So when I think of a sparingly prayer, there's times when, like when you see a car accident right in front of you and you you pray automatically.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know about you, but I pray.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_03: If I see something tragic, I automatically pray.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_03: If I hear an ambulance, a cop car, a fire engine go go by, we have a thing that we do in our car.
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_03: Um we say, touch red, touch something red.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_03: And and and then the minimum praying will be like, Lord, I just pray for and I don't even I don't know what the circumstance is, but I'll just say, Lord, I pray for protection over that situation because I don't know, but he knows.
• 41:55
  SPEAKER_03: And we touch red because red represents the blood of Jesus.
• 41:59
  SPEAKER_03: So and we do that, we're like, oh, where's touch red, touch red when we're driving down the road and we see you know an emergency vehicle of any kind, even if it's a police car chasing a bad guy, you know, we pray for protection there too.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_03: You know, even if the guy or girl made a bad mistake, we pray all the time.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_03: And I love it, it says, always pray, just always pray.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_03: If you're doing that, honestly, you're not going to faint.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_03: Because that connection, that that connection is always going to be there.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_03: You start to get what makes a person faint is when you don't have enough oxygen and when you're you're weak.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_03: So if you're not spiritually praying, then you're weak in your prayer life and you're going to faint.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's inevitable.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_03: You are going to faint.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_03: The word even says it, but it tells us not to.
• 42:48
  SPEAKER_03: We need to not be in a position where we get to a point where we actually faint.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_03: So we need to be mindful, like you said, that um to be always thinking about when we pray, what we're praying for, and um like the times of day that we're praying, and also like um how the how important it is to pray.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_03: And I love that Jesus went and prayed to God.
• 43:15
  SPEAKER_03: Not only did he pray to God, but he also, even though he was already going to intercede for us on the cross, he interceded for us in prayer while he was even on earth.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_03: He was interceding, you know, in that prayer life, and he was staying connected to his father, even though spiritually he had a connection already, but he was showing also an example of how we were just to live our lives.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_03: Jesus is nothing but the best example to follow ever.
• 43:44
  SPEAKER_03: So I think he also did he also prayed for a couple of different reasons, and one is to set the example for us, to teach us how to be in connection with God, and it's through prayer.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes you have to get alone with God, and sometimes you pray in a group with a group of people, you know.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_03: God.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes you just pray in the morning.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, like you said, there's different times to pray, so yeah, I love that it says to always always to pray.
• 44:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, it's yeah, all right.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um another verse in Luke Luke twenty two.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_00: And this is another portion that talks about when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now, verse forty, Luke twenty-two, verse forty.
• 45:13
  SPEAKER_00: And when he was at the place, he said unto them, pray that ye enter not into temptation.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then um verse forty-four also talks about when he prayed, and then other verses um on down, but to me that's just another um reason why prayer is so important during specific times, especially.
• 46:14
  SPEAKER_00: We've mentioned it already quite a bit about um the importance of before getting up and before going to sleep prayers.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_00: We've mentioned how that it helps us not to enter into temptation.
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_00: Praying those thanking God doing those two times, especially anchors us to be more aware of Satan's attacks being more aware that Satan he may attack hard, and you may wonder how in the world am I supposed to get through this?
• 47:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, have you prayed?
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_00: Have you thanked God for his protection?
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_00: Have you thanked God for restraining Satan?
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_00: If not, I would say do it right then.
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_00: Stop whatever you're doing at that time and say, Lord, thank you for your protection.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for all your restraining Satan.
• 48:01
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for the peace that you will give.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because remember, Philippians 4, 7 talks about God giving us peace.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_00: That passes our understanding.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_00: We don't understand how God is able to do it, and yet He does it.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_00: He does give us that peace when we do what He wants us to do.
• 48:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now, there might be some people who say, Well, you know, since I'm a Christian and God already protects me and restrains Satan over me, then isn't that enough?
• 49:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, let me ask, what has your response been to Satan's attacks?
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_00: What has your response been to you know things that come up and you're wondering God, what what's going on?
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_00: I thought my life was all planned out and all this, and I don't believe that's how God wants us to live.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_00: In that whole what this happened now, what?
• 49:55
  SPEAKER_00: Or this happened now, what, or what what's going on here?
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_00: No, he wants us living in appreciation for what he does to help us, to help our minds recognize that it's okay.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_00: God has got us, and we don't have to fear, we don't have to give in to those uneasy circumstances, and so let's look at a few more verses, which we're almost done with this episode, but let's look at some more verses John seventeen verse twenty.
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_00: And verse twenty, neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.
• 52:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's a most powerful verse.
• 52:09
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, even though that verse is very specific, God chose to have that in the Bible, I believe, for us to understand that Jesus knew the importance of not only praying for Christians, not only praying for those who would believe on him, but also for those who believe on him to witness.
• 52:57
  SPEAKER_00: So to me that means that God is not only concerned about Christians living as they should, as He wants us to.
• 53:20
  SPEAKER_00: But He's also concerned for those who have yet to become Christians, and that should give us encouragement, that should comfort us to understand that okay, God does care about everyone.
• 54:11
  SPEAKER_00: And yet, even those people God cares for.
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_00: And that should give us great encouragement, great hope, great comfort, and just the understanding that that alone is one reason why prayer times are so important.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so let's see now.
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_00: Now Ephesians six and verse eighteen Ephesians six verse eighteen again um verse eighteen, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for us all saints.
• 57:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's another verse talking about praying always, always being in a mindset of prayer, not being in a mindset of fear and defeat and discouragement, but choosing to be in a mindset of prayer, and so that's important to remember when especially on the days when it seems like you're so rushed and everything is just happening all at once, it seems, and you feel like oh man, I I don't have any extra time.
• 58:35
  SPEAKER_00: Really?
• 58:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, let's back up here.
• 58:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what did you choose to do before you got up?
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_00: Again, thanking God for those two things only takes less than a minute.
• 59:04
  SPEAKER_00: And yet now, that's not to say you rush through those.
• 59:12
  SPEAKER_00: And as we've said, you know, it it's not about rushing, it's about taking time and so um now understanding the importance of being sincere, the importance of not being vain in our prayers, but also acknowledging to ourselves that prayer is important, that before we start our day, and if that means you have to wake up five minutes earlier than you do right now, make a habit of that, make a routine of that, and again that that tells your mind, and that also tells God that okay, they are acknowledging me, God, and I will bless them for that now.
• 1:00:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um Ephesians First Thessalonians five seventeen pray without ceasing, one of the shortest verses in the Bible, and yet maybe it's one of the most overlooked, maybe now that's not to say that you have to be headbowed all the time.
• 1:01:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's not beneficial, that's not that's not what it means.
• 1:01:48
  SPEAKER_00: That means being in a mindset of prayer.
• 1:01:54
  SPEAKER_00: That means when those things come up that instead of reacting quickly or reacting like man, that I don't I no stop, breathe.
• 1:02:17
  SPEAKER_00: Right if you have to thank God for those two specific things again, thank him for his protection, thank him for restraining Satan and watch then how he answers you.
• 1:02:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now, does that mean it will always be automatic?
• 1:02:47
  SPEAKER_00: It will always be immediate, not necessarily.
• 1:02:54
  SPEAKER_00: We we live in a society where I think some of us have grown accustomed to having everything instant, having everything, you know, right now, and if it's not right now, then it must not be, and and it's like no, no, God does work, but he doesn't work necessarily on what we've been conditioned to believe as far as time.
• 1:03:43
  SPEAKER_00: And so give him a chance.
• 1:03:49
  SPEAKER_03: I think the scripture, I think with the scripture five seven or first Thessalonians five seventeen, pray without ceasing means God doesn't want us to hold anything back, no matter what.
• 1:04:00
  SPEAKER_03: And sometimes, like for me, I'm the kind of person that I pray without ceasing.
• 1:04:06
  SPEAKER_03: I pray all the time because I I just I'm always in constant conversation with God.
• 1:04:11
  SPEAKER_03: Not there's times when I'm you know head bowed and you know, kneeling down in in fervent, serious prayer.
• 1:04:21
  SPEAKER_03: And then there's just times that I'm conversing with God because God does, he wants us not to hold anything back.
• 1:04:27
  SPEAKER_03: So it's basically like you and I are having a conversation.
• 1:04:30
  SPEAKER_03: God wants the same conversation, He wants the same, you know, um attention.
• 1:04:36
  SPEAKER_03: He wants us to be constantly thinking on him, you know, think on all of these things, think of him, you know.
• 1:04:44
  SPEAKER_03: And um, so when I think about prayer without ceasing, it means he doesn't want us to hold anything back.
• 1:04:48
  SPEAKER_03: And honestly, we can't hold anything back anyway because he's an all-knowing God.
• 1:04:52
  SPEAKER_03: You're not gonna you can try, but that's not gonna work.
• 1:04:55
  SPEAKER_03: And God doesn't say to go and cherry pick what we deliver to him, he wants us to give it all to him.
• 1:05:01
  SPEAKER_03: Because sometimes we withhold prayer.
• 1:05:03
  SPEAKER_03: I think sometimes we withhold prayer um because we're afraid of what the outcome might actually be.
• 1:05:09
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe um we don't get the yes, God gives us a no, you know, um, when we want the yes, you know, because God does know the outcome.
• 1:05:20
  SPEAKER_03: And sometimes I think we withhold our prayers because we want a certain answer and we may not get it.
• 1:05:26
  SPEAKER_03: I think with kids too, like when when I have my daughter, sometimes she doesn't ask for things.
• 1:05:32
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes she'll just take something because she's afraid to ask because I might tell her no.
• 1:05:36
  SPEAKER_03: So I think we do that with God when it comes to prayer.
• 1:05:40
  SPEAKER_03: And there's gonna be times that God doesn't answer our prayers.
• 1:05:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because if it's repetitious, if it's not sincere from your heart, if it's unnecessary or something that God knows is not going to benefit us, there's no reason for him to answer it.
• 1:05:55
  SPEAKER_03: But what we think we need all the time isn't necessarily what we really need.
• 1:06:00
  SPEAKER_03: But God knows our needs.
• 1:06:01
  SPEAKER_03: So when I think about this verse, prayer without ceasing as important as it is, that if you're not sure, just put it all out there.
• 1:06:10
  SPEAKER_03: Give it all to God.
• 1:06:11
  SPEAKER_03: Don't withhold anything.
• 1:06:12
  SPEAKER_03: And let God sort out the laundry.
• 1:06:14
  SPEAKER_03: You know, He's going to sort out your thoughts and your prayers.
• 1:06:16
  SPEAKER_03: And He's going to be like, Hey, um, I really do think that this person needs this.
• 1:06:21
  SPEAKER_03: I'm going to, you know, help them with that.
• 1:06:23
  SPEAKER_03: And then they don't really need that.
• 1:06:24
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, nobody needs three new Lamborghinis.
• 1:06:26
  SPEAKER_03: You know, they're they're wishful thinking, you know, throw it, you can throw it out if you want, but you know, we got to be careful what we're praying for.
• 1:06:33
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes people pray for materialistic things, they pray for selfish things, they pray for things that um only are going to benefit them in some way, but they're not going to help anything in that way.
• 1:06:45
  SPEAKER_03: And God looks at our hearts when we pray, and he knows what what we really and truly need when we do pray.
• 1:06:51
  SPEAKER_03: So I think it's important, it's okay to throw it out there and give it all to God.
• 1:06:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but he also wants us, like you, like it said in um in the beginning in Matthew 6, 7, we cannot be praying repetitiously or in vain.
• 1:07:04
  SPEAKER_03: If we're praying in vain, those are gonna get thrown away.
• 1:07:06
  SPEAKER_03: Those prayers are just gonna get tossed aside.
• 1:07:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um, he's not even gonna bat an eye at them, you know?
• 1:07:13
  SPEAKER_03: And if that's all we're praying for, then we're truly not praying.
• 1:07:17
  SPEAKER_03: And one thing I I think about prayer life is that I think to myself, as Christians, if you're truly praying to God and you have that relationship with God, you're gonna develop an even stronger and better relationship with God.
• 1:07:33
  SPEAKER_03: If you're truly not a Christian, prayer has prayer has no value to you.
• 1:07:38
  SPEAKER_03: You really it has no value.
• 1:07:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it's like we talked about, I think, last week, where we just check off the box.
• 1:07:44
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, I'm gonna call myself a Christian.
• 1:07:46
  SPEAKER_03: Here's another box to check off.
• 1:07:47
  SPEAKER_03: Did I pray today?
• 1:07:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yep, done.
• 1:07:49
  SPEAKER_03: You know, one and done.
• 1:07:51
  SPEAKER_03: God doesn't want us doing that, he wants our all.
• 1:07:54
  SPEAKER_03: And that's why I think he says pray without ceasing.
• 1:07:57
  SPEAKER_03: He wants all of us, the good, the bad, and the ugly in two.
• 1:08:01
  SPEAKER_03: So I think we got to be really mindful in that when we think about prayer.
• 1:08:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it's easy for us sometimes, I think, to get in that routine.
• 1:08:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um, like we talked about in the beginning, when you sit down to dinner and you're like, oh Lord, thank you for the food, you know.
• 1:08:16
  SPEAKER_03: And sometimes you're you're got half of your food in your mouth already, you're like, Oh, by the way, Lord, thank you for the food.
• 1:08:21
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I'm I've done that.
• 1:08:23
  SPEAKER_03: I'm like, oh gosh, I forgot to pray.
• 1:08:25
  SPEAKER_03: But at least I did pray, you know.
• 1:08:27
  SPEAKER_03: And God, God does recognize that.
• 1:08:29
  SPEAKER_03: It's like, well, gee, finally thanking me for the food that I just gave you, you know.
• 1:08:32
  SPEAKER_03: But um we gotta be mindful of that.
• 1:08:36
  SPEAKER_03: So, but I like that when you said when we get up in the morning and we pray to pray for God's protection and his and restraining Satan.
• 1:08:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um, Satan is gonna keep us as far as far away from prayer as possible because he does not want us having that that lifeline connection to Jesus completely.
• 1:08:54
  SPEAKER_03: So I think it's important that we definitely pray for that and look into um um keeping that communication line open.
• 1:09:04
  SPEAKER_03: And and it's okay to pray.
• 1:09:06
  SPEAKER_03: God doesn't care what you say or how you say it.
• 1:09:09
  SPEAKER_03: You don't have to be educated, you don't have to use sp you don't have to use specific words.
• 1:09:15
  SPEAKER_03: You really don't.
• 1:09:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um sometimes people think, well, I didn't I remember one time saying, Well, I don't know how to pray.
• 1:09:21
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know how to pray for I don't know how to do that.
• 1:09:24
  SPEAKER_03: And I thought, what a ridiculous thing to say.
• 1:09:26
  SPEAKER_03: If I know how to speak, I know how to pray.
• 1:09:28
  SPEAKER_03: If I know how to think, I know how to pray.
• 1:09:31
  SPEAKER_03: If I know how to have a feeling or an emotion or a thought, I know how to pray.
• 1:09:35
  SPEAKER_03: There's nothing to it, but there's everything to it.
• 1:09:39
  SPEAKER_03: So I want to make sure our listeners are understanding them.
• 1:09:43
  SPEAKER_03: You don't have to be afraid to pray, and you don't have to be afraid that what you say is stupid or dumb, because God doesn't look at us like that.
• 1:09:50
  SPEAKER_03: We do that, we look at ourselves.
• 1:09:52
  SPEAKER_03: Does that make sense?
• 1:09:53
  SPEAKER_03: So I just wanted to jump in on that because this is one of my favorite scriptures when it comes to prayer, and because I do it, and he and I am probably one of those prayers that God is like, I might I might be babbling a little bit, like I might be going overboard.
• 1:10:11
  SPEAKER_03: But sometimes I think I'd rather go overboard than to not show up at all.
• 1:10:15
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I think God would rather have you do that, but God also knows my heart, and he knows when I'm really serious, he knows when I'm intently having a conversation with him and when I'm not.
• 1:10:25
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't normally have conversations with people um that I'm not having a conversation with.
• 1:10:30
  SPEAKER_03: Like I'm it's usually meaningful.
• 1:10:32
  SPEAKER_03: So I don't just walk around the house talking to God just to talk to God.
• 1:10:37
  SPEAKER_03: That makes sense.
• 1:10:38
  SPEAKER_03: So that's why I like the scripture a lot.
• 1:10:40
  SPEAKER_03: But anyway, go ahead with what what with what you were saying.
• 1:10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Matthew six verse thirty-three.
• 1:11:03
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a verse talking about the importance of one just praying, but what our first response should be.
• 1:11:30
  SPEAKER_00: And so Matthew says verse thirty-three.
• 1:11:42
  SPEAKER_00: But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
• 1:12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this verse I don't think is talking only about time of day.
• 1:12:16
  SPEAKER_00: I think it is also talking about, you know, when, as we've said, doing those sudden changes in schedule or those sudden um circumstances that come up, or a negative thought that comes into our minds, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
• 1:13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Again, going back to what is the first thing you do after you wake up.
• 1:13:24
  SPEAKER_00: So often the first thing dictates the rest of your day.
• 1:13:34
  SPEAKER_03: It does.
• 1:13:36
  SPEAKER_00: And so it that's just another vital reminder that we get to choose how our days are spent and it starts when we wake up.
• 1:14:07
  SPEAKER_00: It starts even before we get up instead of doing things that might attract Satan's influence, how about intentionally taking time to thank God to help our minds focus more on what truly is important about saying, you know, everything else can can wait for two minutes.
• 1:15:15
  SPEAKER_00: No, and so I I trust that everyone listening is understanding the importance of before getting up prayer time and before going to sleep prayer time because that does as you get into a routine of that, you will notice differences, but it has to be intentional, it has to be something that you say again everything else waits until I pray before getting up and then at night fill your mind with uplifting things.
• 1:16:37
  SPEAKER_00: Fill your mind with things that God wants to give you and is giving you that that is one reason before going to sleep prayer is so needed because as we've said, Satan doesn't take time off.
• 1:17:15
  SPEAKER_00: And again, you who are parents and even us adults who've had scary dreams overnight, those dreams aren't from God.
• 1:17:38
  SPEAKER_00: God does not give us scary things.
• 1:17:49
  SPEAKER_00: So now let's look at two more verses as we close out this episode.
• 1:18:05
  SPEAKER_00: The first of the two verses Psalm one twenty one, Psalm one twenty one, verse number four Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
• 1:18:43
  SPEAKER_00: And that's referring to God.
• 1:18:48
  SPEAKER_00: But did you also know that Satan is the same way?
• 1:19:02
  SPEAKER_00: Satan doesn't slumber or sleep.
• 1:19:10
  SPEAKER_00: Again, going back to dreams overnight or sleeping overnight and suddenly being awakened by things.
• 1:19:31
  SPEAKER_00: I guarantee you that's not how God works.
• 1:19:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's why before going to sleep, is so important, so vital, so necessary again to anchor our mind in truth to help us understand truth better to help us be like you know, okay, so when there are times overnight that you may not be able to sleep, remind yourself, you know, I took time before I went to sleep to pray.
• 1:20:43
  SPEAKER_00: I took time to thank God for his protection and for restraining Satan, and so he is doing that.
• 1:20:57
  SPEAKER_00: And that's okay to remind yourself of that because it works.
• 1:21:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now I would encourage you to not just take my word for it, but to try it for yourself, to get into a routine, and as you get into a routine, you will notice how things improve.
• 1:21:40
  SPEAKER_00: You will notice that yeah, I got to sleep quicker than I have in a long time or yeah, a situation came up and I didn't respond in a negative way and other scenarios like that and just see for yourself how improved.
• 1:22:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, does that mean that Satan's attacks won't get through or circumstances won't come up?
• 1:22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Not necessarily.
• 1:23:02
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I this morning I did pray for I took time to pray.
• 1:23:14
  SPEAKER_00: I thank God for his protection and for restraining Satan.
• 1:23:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so mind just settle down, right?
• 1:23:29
  SPEAKER_00: You don't you don't have to you know freak out right, and so it and there's so many other verses in the Bible on prayer, and um especially I'm thinking of David and how how much he spoke about prayer and um and so God has given us everything we need in his word, he has given us the power to pray.
• 1:24:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's up to us to take advantage.
• 1:24:36
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to live negatively, we don't have to live in discouragement, defeat, spirit, all that Satan wants us to.
• 1:24:58
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to live there, and I am working on putting together a five-day challenge around this important truth of prayer around making a habit of before getting up and before going to sleep prayer times.
• 1:25:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, right now I don't know when that will be yet, when the challenge will be, but I will for sure um keep you posted on that, and um that will be something that you can take advantage of.
• 1:26:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um I just want to mention that so you can be anticipating uh that five-day challenge, which I do believe that everyone who would take advantage of that will see results in maybe even less than five days.
• 1:26:47
  SPEAKER_00: And so I thank you for listening to this episode today, and I would encourage you if you have not yet started a before getting up prayer time and a before going to sleep prayer time, start tonight and get in a tour routine.
• 1:27:29
  SPEAKER_00: Help your mind, yes, again, God does protect us, God does restrain Satan, but so often how quickly we forget.
• 1:27:52
  SPEAKER_00: Especially in in the moment of things, and it's not.
• 1:28:00
  SPEAKER_00: Very good.
• 1:28:05
  SPEAKER_00: People's response is often negative toward him when situations come up.
• 1:28:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so there is there is power in routine.
• 1:28:44
  SPEAKER_00: There is power in choice.
• 1:28:47
  SPEAKER_00: And so exactly.
• 1:28:52
  SPEAKER_03: I agree.
• 1:28:53
  SPEAKER_03: I think that um there's power in prayer, period.
• 1:28:56
  SPEAKER_03: Like no matter what.
• 1:28:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um I definitely think um having that connection, that one-on-one connection with God is is super powerful.
• 1:29:07
  SPEAKER_03: And when we pray, um, not only pray to God, but when we pray to God um on behalf of other people and intersect people, there's a lot of prayer prayer, uh power in that too.
• 1:29:17
  SPEAKER_03: When you're praying for someone who's who's sick or needs healing, or um someone who just needs comfort or someone's that's discouraged, you can pray for that as well.
• 1:29:26
  SPEAKER_03: There's you can pray for anything.
• 1:29:28
  SPEAKER_03: Anything pray for.
• 1:29:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um even if it's ridiculous, you can pray for it.
• 1:29:34
  SPEAKER_03: But um, I'm sure God has like I can only imagine getting to heaven and being God going, yeah, you have no idea some of the prayers that have come across the prayer line, you know.
• 1:29:44
  SPEAKER_03: And he probably just goes, Oh man.
• 1:29:46
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, even at that, even though we may think it's ridiculous, he still loves us, you know, because he's unconditional.
• 1:29:54
  SPEAKER_03: And um so, like I said before, our prayers are super important that if you don't know what to pray, just just speak to God like you're speaking to a person.
• 1:30:06
  SPEAKER_03: You don't have to pray, uh you don't have to pray a specific way.
• 1:30:10
  SPEAKER_03: You can.
• 1:30:10
  SPEAKER_03: There are prayers in the Bible that you can use.
• 1:30:13
  SPEAKER_03: Psalms 23 is a prayer.
• 1:30:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um, now I lay me down to sleep.
• 1:30:17
  SPEAKER_03: You can you know you can pray certain prayers, but um to get you into a routine, you could do that.
• 1:30:24
  SPEAKER_03: But my suggestion is not to get repetitious.
• 1:30:28
  SPEAKER_03: It's to get um, when you're not repetitious, you're not gonna go towards vain prayers because you're not just saying something to say it.
• 1:30:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 1:30:38
  SPEAKER_03: You're saying it because you really mean it.
• 1:30:40
  SPEAKER_03: You're saying it because you want to hold a conversation with God.
• 1:30:43
  SPEAKER_03: You you want to acknowledge God in your morning, you want to acknowledge God at night.
• 1:30:48
  SPEAKER_03: You want to acknowledge Him.
• 1:30:49
  SPEAKER_03: If you wake up in the middle of the night, pray out to God.
• 1:30:52
  SPEAKER_03: Say, Lord, help me get back to sleep.
• 1:30:54
  SPEAKER_03: Whatever, whatever, whatever distraction is on my mind, Lord, take it from me so I can rest.
• 1:30:59
  SPEAKER_03: And um God wants to hear from us, you know, all throughout the day.
• 1:31:04
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I mean, God would probably love it if we just talked to him all day long, you know, like we talk to each other.
• 1:31:10
  SPEAKER_03: You know, he wants that, he wants that personal, intimate relationship with us.
• 1:31:15
  SPEAKER_03: And that's how we're gonna get it.
• 1:31:17
  SPEAKER_03: That's how people are gonna get it is through the prayer is through prayer.
• 1:31:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um, praying with people, praying for people.
• 1:31:23
  SPEAKER_03: Um, sometimes I know that there's times when we pray for ourselves and there's times that we pray for others.
• 1:31:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and we could talk about that later on on another episode because we do need to close this one out.
• 1:31:34
  SPEAKER_03: But um, what a great message.
• 1:31:37
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of a lot of great, great scriptures.
• 1:31:39
  SPEAKER_03: There are tons of scriptures on prayer, and the reason for that is because um we need to understand the importance of it.
• 1:31:49
  SPEAKER_03: We really do.
• 1:31:50
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, Jesus even illustrated the importance of prayer with with praying to his his father as the son of God.
• 1:31:57
  SPEAKER_03: So, like you said, I mean, he he definitely um showed the importance of what prayer is and why we have it.
• 1:32:06
  SPEAKER_03: So um there's a lot of a lot that can happen um just in one prayer, you know.
• 1:32:14
  SPEAKER_03: And even if it is in the heat of the moment and you're in a situation and just have to call out, that's okay too.
• 1:32:21
  SPEAKER_03: That is okay too.
• 1:32:22
  SPEAKER_03: Um anytime, day or night.
• 1:32:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it is good to pray in the morning when you first get up so that you're walking in that light throughout the day, and definitely when you go to bed so that you have good rest and that your mind is at ease.
• 1:32:36
  SPEAKER_03: And um that way you can be rested for the for the the day to come.
• 1:32:41
  SPEAKER_03: And one thing I pray when I do pray when I especially in the morning is I just pray and thank God for another day.
• 1:32:48
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I just say thank you for another day because um he didn't have to wake me up.
• 1:32:54
  SPEAKER_03: He doesn't have to wake me up.
• 1:32:55
  SPEAKER_03: He could he could take me anytime he wants.
• 1:32:58
  SPEAKER_03: You know, and at the end of the day, I thank him for the day.
• 1:33:00
  SPEAKER_03: Thank it, thank him for the day that he gave me for that day, you know, everything that happened.
• 1:33:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um and if I have any concerns or anything, I have a pillow that actually says pray more and worry less.
• 1:33:11
  SPEAKER_03: So the more we pray about it, the less we have time to worry about it.
• 1:33:15
  SPEAKER_03: So I try to think about that.
• 1:33:17
  SPEAKER_03: If I'm worried about stuff constantly, it's because I'm not praying enough.
• 1:33:20
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:33:21
  SPEAKER_03: So we want to try to keep that um in mind.
• 1:33:24
  SPEAKER_03: But anyway, for our listeners out there today, um, a lot of great scripture, um, a lot of truth in the word um that we've had we've, you know, with Jesus speaking to us and showing us and illustrating um what we need to be doing and why and how we should be doing it, um, and how often we should be doing it, um, what part of day we should be doing it.
• 1:33:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um I know there's there's scripture that talks about the morning, the noon, and the night prayer, um, which I thought was an interesting point, where God just has specific times for specific things.
• 1:34:01
  SPEAKER_03: And then there's times where we can just pray at any point in time.
• 1:34:04
  SPEAKER_03: And um it it all ties in to this to the same principle of what he said um when he says just pray always.
• 1:34:14
  SPEAKER_03: If you're always praying, matter of fact, if you get in the habit of just praying all the time, you don't even have to worry about praying in the morning because you're already gonna do it.
• 1:34:24
  SPEAKER_03: So once you get that routine down, you're gonna you're just gonna do it, you know, and out and throughout your day and and then in the evening, the more you do it, um, the more you connect with God, the more God's gonna connect with you.
• 1:34:37
  SPEAKER_03: And things are gonna change.
• 1:34:39
  SPEAKER_03: You'll you'll see it.
• 1:34:40
  SPEAKER_03: It's inevitable.
• 1:34:40
  SPEAKER_03: His word says it.
• 1:34:41
  SPEAKER_03: If you if you come to me in prayer, you will see a change.
• 1:34:44
  SPEAKER_03: You will see, I will show you.
• 1:34:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know.
• 1:34:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it says, Come to me all who are weary and burdened with even your burdens.
• 1:34:53
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes we go to God and we think, oh, like my friend said um a week ago, she's like, I feel like all I ever do is complain to God.
• 1:35:02
  SPEAKER_03: And I go, and I'm sure at times that's all we do do is pray and complain.
• 1:35:08
  SPEAKER_03: But if that's all we have, he'll take it.
• 1:35:11
  SPEAKER_03: He wants it.
• 1:35:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but it is also important to pray and be thankful for everything he has given us.
• 1:35:17
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we are to be praying um thankfully because we need to appreciate the fact that he woke us up another day.
• 1:35:25
  SPEAKER_03: We get to have another day with our family, our loved ones, and uh, we get to live our life and nothing bad happened, you know.
• 1:35:32
  SPEAKER_03: And even if something did happen, we can pray about that too.
• 1:35:36
  SPEAKER_03: So it's important.
• 1:35:38
  SPEAKER_03: So, but anyhow, with all of our listeners, um, Bethany is gonna be doing a challenge soon.
• 1:35:43
  SPEAKER_03: She's gonna let us know when that is coming out.
• 1:35:45
  SPEAKER_03: And again, if you have any questions, if you need prayer, um you can contact Bethany or myself, we'd be glad to pray with you.
• 1:35:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, on CrushingStrongholds.com website, there's actually a place on there where you can sign up for prayer if you want prayer and reach out and or wherever you're listening to this podcast, you can reach out to both Bethany and myself.
• 1:36:05
  SPEAKER_03: We'd be glad to pray for you.
• 1:36:06
  SPEAKER_03: And if you have any questions about any of the scripture that you're not sure about, you can reach out and ask, ask us questions.
• 1:36:12
  SPEAKER_03: Get involved and get engaged.
• 1:36:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um, let us know where you are, let us know where you are in prayer.
• 1:36:18
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe we need to pray for you so that you can get stronger in your prayer life.
• 1:36:22
  SPEAKER_03: Um, because that's definitely what we need to do.
• 1:36:24
  SPEAKER_03: But as far as today goes, Bethany, would you like to close us out in prayer today?
• 1:36:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 1:36:30
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, thank you.
• 1:36:31
  SPEAKER_00: Dear Lord, I thank you for this time.
• 1:36:36
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for how you met with us now and how you want us to come to you no matter when it is, no matter what we're facing.
• 1:37:02
  SPEAKER_00: Not after we have you know gotten all everything right, or but you want us to come now as we are, and you will accept us and you will help us, and Lord, as we make a routine of these specific times, Lord, thank you for the transformation we will see from that.
• 1:37:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so thank you for each one who is listening to this and pray that you would abundantly bless them um throughout their day in Jesus' name.
• 1:37:56
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 1:37:58
  SPEAKER_03: Amen and amen.
• 1:37:59
  SPEAKER_03: Well, again, thank you for I know you put a lot of work into this episode today, and um um you had a lot of great things to share with us, and um I'm excited for in our next week's lesson.
• 1:38:11
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know if we're gonna stick with prayer, if we're gonna move on to another topic, but either way, the truth will be told.
• 1:38:17
  SPEAKER_03: So we thank all of our listeners.
• 1:38:19
  SPEAKER_03: We thank you all for being here, and we just um hope and pray that you have a great day, and you all take care.
• 1:38:24
  SPEAKER_03: God bless.