Participants:
Series Code: TDYL
Program Code: TDYL250011B
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00:09 Hello and welcome back to 3AVN's today, Thursday Night
00:12 Live. 00:15 second hour. 00:16 And if you are just joining us now, you missed a powerful 00:19 first hour. 00:20 Of course, tonight's topic is on prayer and our... 00:24 I'm not going to call him guest, our 3AVN family members, 00:27 Pastor Goya. 00:28 It's a blessing to have him here. 00:29 He has a tremendously busy schedule. 00:32 But again, we're talking about when God answers prayer, when 00:35 it doesn't seem like God answers our prayer. 00:38 And yeah, if you didn't tune in to that first hour, we 00:41 encourage you to go to 3AVN's app. 00:43 Maybe you don't have an app, the 3AVN Plus app. 00:46 We encourage you to download it. 00:48 It's free on your Apple phone or your Android phone or 00:51 device. 00:52 And you can watch this program in its entirety. 00:55 If you missed the first hour or want to share it with somebody, 00:57 you can do that. 00:58 But Jill, encourage. 01:00 Or you can get it on YouTube as well. 01:01 You can get it on YouTube, that's correct. 01:02 It's all about sharing the content. 01:05 And if you've been encouraged this evening, we encourage you 01:07 to share it with someone else. 01:08 But I've been encouraged, right? 01:09 God is alive and well. 01:11 He answers prayer and we just need to trust him. 01:15 And I liked what Pastor, what you said in the first hour or 01:17 two. 01:19 But one is talk to God as to a friend. 01:23 It seems as though I've talked to some people where they're 01:26 intimidated to talk to God. 01:28 They're afraid to talk to God. 01:29 Don't know how to pray so they don't do anything. 01:32 But when you think of God as like talking to him as a 01:34 friend, I'm not afraid to talk to my friend. 01:37 I'm not like uncomfortable to talk to my friend. 01:40 So if you think of God that way, like just talk to him. 01:43 And he's there, he listens. 01:45 He already knows what's going through our minds. 01:47 So I like that approach too. 01:48 You don't have to be afraid or intimidated. 01:50 Just talk to God. 01:52 And I liked what you were talking about breathing too. 01:54 Breathing in, breathing out. 01:56 Prayer is talking to God but it's also listening. 01:59 For me, I tend to talk too much and study the Word. 02:03 So yeah, so many things. 02:04 Thank you so much for being here again this evening. 02:06 My privilege, absolutely. 02:08 So as we talk about that breathing aspect, prayer and 02:11 the Word. 02:14 hand in hand. 02:15 We talk to God in prayer and He talks to us through the Word. 02:18 Let's talk a little bit about Bible study. 02:20 Is there a complicated way to study the Bible? 02:23 Can I just pick up and read book by book? 02:26 Or how would you recommend? 02:27 We study the Bible and let God talk to us. 02:30 Yeah, yeah, that's a good question. 02:32 So I guess if we start slow, I guess to study is better than 02:38 not to study regardless of how you study. 02:41 But we can also go in the routine study that we make it a 02:45 habit just to do our duty and we get nothing out of it. 02:50 Like Jesus says in John 5 to the Pharisees, you search, they 02:53 were searching. 02:54 They knew the scripture. 02:58 have eternal life, but they testify of me. 03:00 Basically Jesus is saying you should not just search them for 03:03 the sake of duty or routine or to get eternal life or to get 03:06 help. 03:10 me. 03:11 Because eternal life is to know God. 03:14 That's the reason Moses says, I want to know you like I want to 03:17 see you like David. 03:19 I want to see you. 03:20 I want to know you. 03:21 I want to know you always a desire to know God. 03:24 Search the scripture. 03:25 If you go to church as a routine, you lose time. 03:30 Go to the church to encounter God, to meet God, to worship 03:33 God, to know God, to have a relationship with God, to know 03:36 Him to the degree that you love Him and trust Him. 03:39 Because the more time you spend fixing your eyes on Him in the 03:43 Bible, in prayer, the more time you spend reflecting on Him, 03:48 the more you understand Him. 03:51 The more you understand Him, the more you love Him and the 03:54 more you trust Him and the more you have peace. 03:56 That's the reason the Bible says you keep Him in perfect 03:59 peace. 04:00 Him whose mind stays on you. 04:03 And so that's the goal to know God. 04:06 That's the reason we study the Bible. 04:07 Not just to do our duty, three chapters a day to get 04:09 information. 04:14 actually talks about that. 04:15 And she tells us not to read a lot. 04:19 There is nothing wrong with reading a lot. 04:20 But if you read a lot and you don't remember anything, then 04:23 why do you read it? 04:25 She says read one, two verses at a time. 04:29 That's very little. 04:31 But then she says pray over it. 04:35 As the Bible was inspired by the Spirit, humanly we cannot 04:39 understand spiritual things. 04:41 We need the Spirit to inspire the Bible, to inspire us to 04:43 understand what God wants to say to you specifically, to me 04:47 specifically. 04:48 So pray over it. 04:50 And then she says read again the same paragraph. 04:55 And then she says reflect upon it. 04:57 Meditate upon it. 05:02 Meditate, think, chew it, digest it. 05:04 That's the reason Jesus says men don't live only with bread, 05:06 but with every word. 05:08 The word is the spiritual bread. 05:11 Digest it until it goes into your body and it feeds your 05:14 cells and your brain until you are fed, you are filled with 05:18 the word. 05:18 Think about this. 05:20 Think about this in Ephesians chapter 6. 05:22 That's powerful. 05:24 It talks about we don't fight against flesh and blood. 05:29 We may think my boss and my car is broken, my health, my... 05:34 But we don't see it's spiritual war. 05:37 Satan is real like a lion trying to destroy us. 05:40 He hates us. 05:42 And very strange. 05:43 As soon as you make a good decision, I want to pray more, 05:45 I want to study more, I want to serve God, Satan attacks you. 05:48 When you do nothing and you sleep, Satan says, don't touch 05:52 him, we don't want to wake him up. 05:54 But when you try to change your life or to serve God, he 05:57 attacks you. 05:58 It's spiritual war. 06:00 Yes, absolutely. 06:00 Spiritual war. 06:03 I could give you practical examples. 06:04 I mean, when we started to do evangelism every year, every 06:08 year, every year, the night when we start evangelism, 06:12 Friday night, every year, not on a Thursday, not a week 06:15 before, no. 06:16 That's specific Friday night. 06:19 Half an hour or one hour before we would go to church, the 06:22 septic would come in our basement. 06:24 Next year again, next year again, every year. 06:28 Was it always the septic that came every time? 06:30 And so I called the people, the Roto-Rooter people or however 06:33 you call them, and they tried to clean and said, it's clean. 06:36 Then I called a team from Madison and they came with a 06:40 camera and they said, the pipes are clean. 06:42 Then I called next year another team and they dug a big hole 06:45 with an excavator in my front yard. 06:47 And they said, there is nothing to replace, it's good. 06:49 Yet the septic would come again. 06:51 Until the pastor who did evangelism, he said to me, 06:54 Pastor, have you thought about spiritual war? 06:57 He says, this is Satan trying to discourage, to stress you, 07:01 to stop you. 07:03 This is spiritual war. 07:04 This is not by chance. 07:06 And he said to me, have you dedicated your house to the 07:09 Lord? 07:11 He says, oh no, you dedicate everything you have. 07:13 As they dedicated the temple, why not your house and your 07:17 car? 07:18 Shouldn't they be dedicated to God? 07:21 Dedicated means set aside for a purpose. 07:23 Shouldn't they be set aside to serve God? 07:26 He says, dedicated to God and Satan has no more room there. 07:29 So here we are Friday night. 07:32 I cannot describe the stuff floating in my basement where I 07:35 had my office and my books ruined and everything. 07:39 And we pray and say, Lord, we give this house to you. 07:43 We dedicate it. 07:44 It's yours. 07:45 We want to use it from now on for you. 07:48 And as you finish prayer, it starts going within 15 minutes. 07:52 All the floating stuff gone, never came back, the septic. 07:56 That was the last time. 07:58 It's spiritual war. 08:01 And so going back to our subject, talking about study of 08:05 the Bible and prayer, they should never be separated. 08:08 The Bible says that they always go only together. 08:15 Talking about prayer, it's spiritual war. 08:18 The Bible says that for spiritual war, that is the evil 08:24 spirits in heavenly places, you cannot fight from an earthly 08:29 perspective, earthly weapons, earthly power with the 08:34 spiritual powers that are in heavenly places. 08:36 You need to be in heaven to have heavenly power, spiritual 08:40 power to fight heavenly forces. 08:43 In our power, we will lose 100%. 08:47 But when we are in Christ, there is no way to lose because 08:50 Christ already got victory at the cross. 08:52 Satan was defeated 100%. 08:55 That's the reason we need to be in Christ, never separated. 08:59 Christ in you, the hope of glory. 09:02 That's the reason we need to be continually in Christ, 09:04 continually in prayer, continually in the Word, 09:07 continually covered by the full armor of God. 09:11 The breast place, you remember that. 09:14 And if you look there, the Bible gives you the weapons to 09:17 fight Satan. 09:17 It says the sword of the spirit, that is what? 09:23 The Word of God. 09:24 The Word of God. 09:26 People read the Bible. 09:27 But the Bible is not only reading material. 09:30 The Bible is a weapon. 09:32 The Bible is a book. 09:33 Jesus used it as a weapon. 09:36 When Satan attacked him, three times, he three times says, it 09:38 is written. 09:40 The Bible, Elinor talks about that and she says, if we would 09:44 memorize, she says, read it again, the same Bible verse. 09:48 Don't read a lot, read a little. 09:50 Then she says, think about it. 09:51 Then she says, read it again. 09:52 Then pray over it. 09:53 And then read it again. 09:54 And then she says, read it several times. 09:56 And then she says, commit it to memory. 09:58 Yes. 10:01 You don't need to be smart. 10:04 If you read the Bible verse 10 times, you will remember it. 10:08 That's right. 10:09 Read it 10 times. 10:11 But if you memorize one Bible verse a day, in 10 years, 365 10:18 Bible verses a year, in 10 years, that's the reason it 10:22 says in the Bible, I store thy word. 10:25 In other translation it says, I hide that. 10:28 I store thy word into my heart that I may not sin. 10:31 The word in the heart is a protection against sin, that I 10:36 may not sin against thee. 10:37 That's what Elinor says. 10:39 She says, if the word is stored in our heart, the Holy Spirit 10:42 would remind us in the moment we need it the most, the Bible 10:46 verse that we need the most, when we are tempted, when we 10:49 are attacked, when we are discouraged, when we talk to 10:52 somebody. 10:55 way to recall it out because it's not there. 10:57 But if you put it in, the Holy Spirit would remind you what 11:01 you need. 11:02 So when you study the Bible, memorize the Bible. 11:05 If they take the Bible away from you, what are you going to 11:08 do? 11:11 But that would grow us, because if you study the Bible, not 11:15 just read it, but eat it, digest it, with love and 11:19 passion for the world, with a desire to understand, to dig 11:22 deeper in the treasure, to know God. 11:24 When you do that, you find Jesus in the Bible. 11:27 And the more you pray, and the more you study, and the more 11:30 you reflect, the more you know Him, the more you understand 11:32 Him, the more you know His voice. 11:34 You understand how He was, you distinguish His voice. 11:37 The more He can communicate with you, the more you 11:39 understand His plan, the more He can use you, the more you 11:42 can experience His power. 11:44 There is power in the world. 11:45 The Word of God is not just any word. 11:48 It has power. 11:49 It says and it happens. 11:51 Jesus is the Word. 11:52 That's right. 11:53 I love that. 11:54 I love that there is such power in the Word. 11:57 The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any 11:59 two -edged sword. 12:00 You said something I want to go back to a moment. 12:02 You talked about when we are in Christ. 12:06 What does that mean to be in Christ? 12:08 And how can we know that we are in Christ? 12:12 Well, Jesus says in John 15, separate it from me, you can do 12:15 nothing. 12:22 connected and never separate. 12:23 Well, she says every morning, she says it's powerful. 12:28 I'm going to put it in my words. 12:29 Every morning, she says, present your plans before the 12:33 Lord. 12:37 didn't have a brain. 12:39 But she says He received the plans from the Father for that 12:42 day. 12:43 Every morning present your plans, ready to surrender them 12:46 or to fulfill them according to God's will. 12:48 And then she says seek His plans and seek His presence. 12:51 And then she says it's the duty of the parents to seek God's 12:54 presence not only for themselves, but over the 12:57 children, over the whole family. 12:59 Basically, God is waiting at the door of our heart. 13:04 Respectfully, He doesn't push. 13:07 He respects our freedom of choice. 13:10 He waits for us to invite Him. 13:11 In the morning, you say, Jesus, would you please come into my 13:15 life today? 13:19 more than life. 13:20 I want you. 13:22 Like David in a dry land, Psalm 63, where there is no water. 13:27 I've seen in your sanctuary, your presence is better than 13:29 water, better than foods. 13:31 I mean, he was running from King Saul. 13:34 King Saul with the whole army and David is in the wilderness 13:37 with 600 soldiers, their wives, their children. 13:40 You talk about over 2,000 people. 13:42 That's a lot. 13:43 You need food for 2,000 people. 13:45 I've been in the wilderness there. 13:47 There is nothing, no water, no flowers, no snow, only sand, 13:51 stones, scorpions, snakes, nothing. 13:53 The heat is terrible. 13:57 You'd imagine that you pray, Lord, protect us, Lord, feed 13:59 us, give us. 14:00 How am I going to feed 2,500 people today? 14:02 I need a train of food. 14:04 How am I going to give them water? 14:05 I need two cisterns of water. 14:07 He says, I've seen you in a dry land. 14:10 I've seen you in your sanctuary. 14:12 Oh, your presence, your love, your majesty. 14:17 Wow, he says, is better than life. 14:19 When I am with you, I need nothing. 14:22 Basically, when you get a glimpse of God, you forget your 14:25 problems. 14:26 And that's what the Bible is about, to get in God's 14:31 presence. 14:35 desire to know God. 14:36 So in the morning you say, Lord, I want to spend time, 14:39 quality time with you. 14:40 You wake up early. 14:42 I'm going to give you a story about that, but in a second. 14:46 You wake up early before the telephone rings, before you go 14:49 to work, before the kids cry, before... 14:51 and you spend quality time with God, not as a duty, but with a 14:55 passion and a thirst to know Him. 14:57 And you say, Lord, you promised that if I seek you with all my 15:01 heart, I will find you. 15:04 I believe your promise. 15:05 And as we seek Him, the Bible says that if we draw near to 15:09 Him, He will draw near to us. 15:11 If we seek Him, He opens our eyes as much as we can handle. 15:15 And we know Him more. 15:17 And then we love Him more. 15:18 And then we desire Him more. 15:19 And we seek Him more. 15:20 So He makes another steps. 15:22 And He gives us another glimpse. 15:23 And that's a continual daily process until we get closer and 15:27 closer and closer until we become one. 15:29 And people see Jesus in us. 15:31 Now let me give you a story. 15:32 Alright. 15:33 I was in the army. 15:35 I was a lieutenant. 15:36 I was in a group. 15:38 This is in Romania. 15:39 In Romania, long ago. 15:40 In a group called Genius. 15:41 Not that we are genius or anything like that. 15:45 And it was not many of us. 15:47 It was all picked, all that were in the university. 15:51 You know. 15:53 And we were supposed to learn, not like artillery or, you 15:56 know, we were supposed to learn to fire any type of weapon. 16:00 Literally any. 16:01 And we were supposed to learn to prepare to make a bomb to 16:04 blow a mountain or to make a bomb to blow a pencil or a 16:08 telephone. 16:09 Anything. 16:10 And you know, this type of people will be sent when you 16:12 cannot send the whole army. 16:13 You will send one or two. 16:14 These would be like special forces, I think. 16:15 Not really, not special forces. 16:16 But anyway. 16:17 Well, it sounds like special forces. 16:20 No, no, no. 16:20 No, no, no. 16:21 So it was, anyway. 16:24 So it was against the law to have a Bible. 16:27 And my girlfriend in that time, that is my wife now, would send 16:31 me letters. 16:32 Long, impossible, crazy long, 20, 30, 40 pages letters. 16:38 And though she writes very nice, she would write really 16:42 crooked writing that I could not even read. 16:44 And she would write nonsense, stupid things like, and I 16:47 cooked and I put so much parsley and so much salt and so 16:49 much garlic and so much green beans. 16:50 And then I watched the game and so on and so on for 10 feet. 16:53 And then they shoot. 16:57 pages nonsense. 16:59 And then in the middle of the letter, she would put a Bible 17:02 verse and the paragraph. 17:04 Everything was censored. 17:06 The security would take every single letter and they would 17:10 read. 17:11 And they would confiscate them if there was anything 17:14 religious. 17:15 And they would read, read garbage. 17:17 Next one, they would get tired after 10, 15 pages. 17:20 And she told me, I'm going to send you a lot of garbage. 17:23 So I get them tired of reading. 17:26 Look towards the end and cut out the precious words. 17:31 So I would cut with the scissors. 17:32 I would find the paragraphs, cut them, throw out the 17:36 garbage. 17:41 you call it inside. 17:42 And I would hide the paragraphs and put the garbage inside. 17:45 And I had a little flashlight. 17:47 And I would pray in the evening, Lord, I don't want to 17:51 go without You. 17:53 Please wake me up early enough so I have quality time with You 17:57 before everything starts. 18:00 So I make sure that I feel myself. 18:03 You know, the foolish virgins, when they started they did have 18:06 oil. 18:10 failed to daily fill the container with fresh oil. 18:15 A new daily baptism, fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit. 18:18 They do that in the beginning but then they get distracted 18:21 with so many things. 18:22 And they assume just because they go to church they are 18:24 okay. 18:25 And Jesus says, I don't know you. 18:27 So I said, Lord, I want to daily be filled with Your 18:30 presence. 18:30 I want to daily. 18:32 So God would wake me up. 18:33 And I was the guy blowing the trumpet, calling everybody, you 18:37 know. 18:38 Waking them up, everybody would curse me. 18:40 Telling them that it's time to go to sleep. 18:41 Everyone loved me, calling them to meals. 18:44 Everybody loved me. 18:45 So I would wake up around 5.15. 18:49 That was supposed to, I would wake up way earlier. 18:51 And then around 5.30. 18:53 D, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d, d. 18:54 You know, and it's time to wake up. 18:57 Father, stop it, please. 18:58 We want to sleep more. 19:01 So anyway, we had a song, kind of a melody for every type of 19:06 activity. 19:07 Okay. 19:10 Okay. 19:11 Well, God would wake me up around 3 a.m., 3.30, so until 5 19:17 .30 I had time. 19:18 And I would get under the blanket with a little 19:21 flashlight and the paragraphs and I would read and pray. 19:25 And I didn't have a lot of reading, so I would read the 19:28 same paragraphs again and again and reflect on them. 19:31 And the more you reflect on a small quotation or a small 19:34 verse, the more you read it and the more you think and the more 19:37 you pray and the more you think and digest it and ask questions 19:40 and read it again. 19:41 You start reading between the lines and then you memorize it. 19:45 But then you remember another verse that connects with this 19:48 verse and they kind of come together, they connect. 19:51 So when you memorize them, your mind starts working, you know. 19:55 And so I was reflecting and praying and reading in the 19:58 morning between 3 and 5, 3.15 sometimes. 20:02 Every morning I had my time with God. 20:04 Well, I prayed one night. 20:06 I said, Lord, wake me up in the morning talking about how do 20:10 you study, how do you pray, how do you connect with God every 20:14 day, how are you in Christ every day. 20:17 God woke me up at 2. 20:19 I said, come on, are you kidding? 20:22 I need a little more sleep than that because through the day we 20:26 run with all that equipment and we do instruction and training 20:30 and it takes a lot of strength, you know. 20:32 Otherwise you faint. 20:34 And I said, I need a little more sleep. 20:36 Plus I could not eat the food they ate because it was all 20:39 pork. 20:43 But anyway, so I said, I need more sleep. 20:46 I said, please wake me up when you need to wake me up. 20:49 Telling God what to do instead of listening to what he says. 20:53 So God said, wake up. 20:54 I said, but it's 2 o'clock. 20:56 So I said, that's okay. 20:57 I got under, I got dressed because usually I would get 21:00 dressed and then study because if somehow I fall asleep, you 21:04 know, when the alarm clock goes off, you know, take the 21:08 trumpet, be ready. 21:09 Don't take another 10 minutes to get dressed. 21:11 So I got dressed, 2 a.m. 21:13 I did my study. 21:15 I prayed. 21:16 And then I said, okay, I have time. 21:18 I could sleep another one hour or two. 21:20 In that moment, the alarm went off. 21:23 It was a war drill. 21:25 It was a big, big, big alarm over the tallest building. 21:29 Ooh, when it would start like tornadoes. 21:32 But it was a war drill. 21:33 When it was a war drill, you had 15 seconds to be ready for 21:36 war. 21:36 15 seconds. 21:39 They said basically within 15 seconds. 21:41 And they always were lenient in a way that they gave you maybe 21:43 half a minute. 21:48 the building, ready for war, you will be punished to be 21:51 arrested. 21:54 So God knew that and He woke me up earlier. 21:58 And I had time to get dressed and to do my prayer and my 22:03 study and to spend time with Jesus. 22:04 And then when the alarm went off, I took my weapons, run 22:09 out. 22:09 I was the single one. 22:11 And then after about 15 minutes, they start to pulling 22:14 pants or shoes. 22:17 And the lieutenant and the captain and the major, they are 22:20 all there like this, looking to the clock and waiting. 22:24 Arrest, arrest one day, arrest two days, arrest. 22:27 And then they put me at the flag and they said, he's the 22:30 single one ready for war. 22:32 He's an example of soldier. 22:33 I said, everybody should be like him. 22:35 And that's because God woke you up early. 22:36 At 2 a.m. 22:38 And so the soldiers asked me, how in the world were you 22:41 ready? 22:42 And I told them, Jesus woke me up. 22:43 They said, you are crazy. 22:44 I said, no I am not actually. 22:46 He woke me up, literally. 22:49 The Bible says, He awakens my ear every morning to listen as 22:56 a disciple, not to talk, to listen. 22:59 I said, God wakes me up every morning to spend time with him. 23:03 They said, you are either crazy or you are something different. 23:05 I am neither crazy nor different. 23:07 I am the way everybody should be. 23:10 And so, how are you in Jesus? 23:13 You ask him in the evening, Lord, please wake me up. 23:16 And then I said, if you cannot, she says, discipline yourself. 23:20 She says, discipline yourself. 23:21 And he says, after all you get used. 23:24 And wake up early in the morning, spend time with God, 23:27 invite His presence. 23:28 God wants, you don't need to wake Him. 23:30 He says, would you please come? 23:31 And he says, no, let me think. 23:32 No, He wants to come. 23:34 He is waiting for you to pray that prayer. 23:36 Invite Him, because as soon as you invite Him, He will come 23:39 just right in. 23:40 And you do that every day. 23:41 You are not going to see an explosion. 23:42 An instant you fly and you are holy and you have a tickling 23:45 behind the neck and you say, oh, oh, oh, you know. 23:47 You don't feel anything. 23:50 You know, when the Holy Spirit works, it's not that 23:52 sensational screaming and jumping. 23:55 When the Holy Spirit works, it's a peaceful transformation 23:58 that happens in time but continually and securely. 24:03 It's like the little wind, the little, you know, how you call 24:08 it in English... 24:10 Breath of air. 24:11 Yes. 24:14 Oh, the still small voice. 24:15 The still small voice, you know. 24:17 So, invite Him in. 24:19 You will not see anything. 24:21 But if you do that daily, one year later you look back and 24:24 you clearly see that you are here and now you are here. 24:28 Now you know God. 24:29 You walk with God. 24:30 You experience God. 24:31 The change, the Bible says that the new birth is like the wind. 24:38 Jesus told Nicodemus, it's like the wind. 24:40 You don't see it but you see the effects. 24:42 You don't see from today to tomorrow how God works but in 24:45 time you will see the results. 24:48 You know, I want to ask this question because when we do a 24:51 special prayer and praise program here on Alive, a lot of 24:55 the prayer requests that come in are for parents with 24:59 children that do not know the Lord or have left the Lord. 25:03 And so talk to us a little bit about a parent that has prayed 25:08 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years for their children and 25:14 they are still walking away from God. 25:16 Do they continue to pray? 25:18 Does it still make a difference? 25:20 Because God already knows that this child is a burden on the 25:24 parent's heart. 25:25 So is there power in continuing to pray 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 25:30 years? 25:34 prayer, petition prayer. 25:36 One of them is intercessory prayer. 25:39 Now when you pray petition prayer, Lord I need a job. 25:43 That's a good prayer to pray. 25:44 It's a petition prayer. 25:46 It's for something temporary, for a temporary need. 25:50 There is nothing wrong. 25:52 The Bible says that we should cast all our cares upon Him. 25:55 Nothing wrong to ask. 25:57 The problem we have is when we twist God's arm to do what we 26:04 want, the way we want in the time we want. 26:06 We don't only ask what we want. 26:08 We even tell Him how to do it and when to do it. 26:10 Uh-oh. 26:12 Okay. 26:15 Which I have found myself guilty of that. 26:17 You know, kind of twisting God's arm. 26:19 We say God didn't answer my prayer. 26:21 What does it mean? 26:22 Yeah. 26:23 God probably did answer just not the way we expect. 26:26 And if He doesn't work the way we want, you think He didn't 26:28 work. 26:30 And then I says to every, every, to every honest prayer 26:34 an answer will come. 26:36 But it would be wrong to expect God to answer the way we want 26:39 in the time we want. 26:40 So, going back. 26:43 Okay. 26:44 There are many types of prayer. 26:45 One of them is petition. 26:47 When you pray petition prayer, you should present your needs, 26:50 but you should be able to say, as Jesus said, Nevertheless, 26:53 not my will. 26:55 Basically, trust God's love and wisdom because He knows the big 26:59 picture. 26:59 He knows the future. 27:01 Give Him consent to do the way He knows that is best because 27:05 He loves you. 27:07 If He gave Jesus, what would be easier to give you a car or to 27:11 give His son? 27:12 If He gave His son, He can say and you have a car. 27:15 But trust in His wisdom. 27:17 He will not let you. 27:18 The problem people have is that they don't know God, so they 27:20 don't trust God and they don't wait upon God. 27:22 The Bible says those who wait, they pray and then they act. 27:25 Instead of waiting, let the Lord work. 27:30 That's petition prayer. 27:32 However, intercessory prayer is not the same. 27:35 It's not when you ask a car or a house or a job or whatever. 27:39 Intercessory prayer is not for temporary needs, but it's for 27:43 somebody's salvation. 27:44 That prayer, we should never give up. 27:47 We should always pray as long as we live because it's a 27:51 matter of justice. 27:53 God gave us freedom of choice and God would never violate 27:59 that freedom. 28:02 And so, if my son says leave me alone, God has to respect his 28:08 choice. 28:11 If God forced him, Satan would say you see God is a tyrant. 28:14 He's not just, I was right. 28:16 But if I pray for my son, God says I need to answer Father's 28:20 prayers. 28:22 That's the reason Jesus says to Peter, I'm praying for you 28:24 because he is our greatest intercessor. 28:26 That's beautiful. 28:27 Making intercession for him. 28:28 In Hebrew it talks about that. 28:29 Making day and night. 28:30 He is doing intercession before the Father. 28:32 He says my blood. 28:34 So, when I pray for my son, not only that God gives me the 28:39 wisdom to know what to do, what to say, when to say, whatever, 28:44 but also it gives God permission to work where God 28:47 has no right to work. 28:49 That's the reason you need to pray daily so God could work 28:52 daily. 28:54 very stubborn. 28:57 Yes, I understand. 28:58 So, God needs to keep working. 29:00 And God is working more and more and more. 29:04 Eventually, he may allow some things, if necessary, to get 29:07 their attention. 29:09 And so, I know, for instance, a situation that I experienced 29:13 it. 29:17 lady, sweet, kind, loving, one of the best church members, 29:22 always supporting the church, always working. 29:24 She was the first one for all, before evangelist, for Bible 29:26 studies. 29:27 She was a reliable church member. 29:29 I wish everybody was like her, you know. 29:31 She comes to me, says, Pastor, sweet, old, short lady. 29:36 She says, Pastor, I've been praying all my life for my son 29:40 and still he didn't come. 29:42 What should I do? 29:43 Stop praying. 29:44 I said, never. 29:46 Pray daily, so God works daily. 29:48 But God has not answered. 29:49 I said, oh, yes, God has answered every day. 29:52 He has been working with your son, but your son is really 29:55 like a donkey. 29:57 Double. 29:58 She smiled and says, what should I do, Pastor, I am old. 30:01 I said, nothing. 30:02 That's God's business about your age. 30:04 What is your business is prayer. 30:07 Don't worry about time. 30:10 Worry about relationship, prayer. 30:11 Amen. 30:12 So she said, I've been praying 40 years, Pastor. 30:15 40. 30:17 Wow. 30:18 That's a long time. 30:19 Yes, it is. 30:20 That's a lot of love. 30:21 I mean, Abraham prayed 25 for a son. 30:24 But this lady, 40. 30:27 You get discouraged, you know. 30:28 Correct. 30:29 So I told her, keep praying. 30:31 And I told her about, I don't know if you know, George 30:36 Mueller. 30:36 Oh, yes. 30:37 He had a few friends. 30:38 He prayed for them. 30:39 One converted after six months. 30:42 One converted after two years. 30:44 But the last two never converted. 30:46 And he prayed all his life. 30:47 When he is old, he has been praying already, I don't know, 30:51 alive. 30:55 He dies. 30:56 One converts then at his funeral and one a few months 31:00 later. 31:01 So he never saw. 31:02 He never saw it. 31:03 But he prayed his entire life. 31:04 But God did answer. 31:05 So I told the lady, I said, keep praying. 31:07 Keep praying. 31:10 Well, she had a stroke. 31:12 I visited her in hospital. 31:13 She was in and out, in and out. 31:15 And she is, for a few moments, she is aware. 31:18 And she says, Pastor, are you here? 31:19 I said, yes, I've been here. 31:21 She says, Pastor, I am dying. 31:22 Who is going to pray for my son? 31:23 I said, well, we will. 31:25 However, you need to talk to Jesus and say, lead Jesus. 31:28 I've been interested for him. 31:29 Now I am dying. 31:31 But I am asking you to keep working with him. 31:34 Amen. 31:35 Yeah, that's powerful. 31:36 That's powerful. 31:37 Okay, Pastor. 31:39 And she prayed. 31:40 And then she entered again in coma and then out. 31:42 And she died. 31:43 At her funeral, her son came. 31:45 Oh, wow. 31:46 Now, to mention before that, every time she would talk to 31:50 him about religion, he told her, if you talk again about 31:52 God, I'm going to change my email, change my telephone. 31:54 You will never reach me again. 31:56 I hate God. 31:57 Don't even mention church. 31:58 I hate, you know, either. 32:00 And he would curse and he would... 32:01 It was terrible. 32:04 Very discouraging for her. 32:05 So he died. 32:07 He comes at the funeral. 32:08 I preach. 32:09 He comes with tears and he says, Mom was such a patient, 32:13 loving being. 32:15 She always talked to me and she's going to be in heaven for 32:18 sure. 32:21 And I will never get there. 32:22 I said, why not? 32:23 Because I am a sinner. 32:24 I said, guess what? 32:25 We are all. 32:29 your mama, you know. 32:31 He says, what can I do to be saved? 32:33 I said, well, that's the first step asking. 32:35 I said, you need to repent and be baptized. 32:39 He says, should I confess to you? 32:41 I said, absolutely not. 32:42 You need to confess to Jesus. 32:44 Yeah, not to a human being. 32:45 But you need to come to me for Bible studies. 32:47 Amen. 32:48 He did. 32:49 And I baptized him. 32:50 He says, Pastor, I lost so much time in my life being an enemy, 32:54 I want to recover the time. 32:55 I said, well, you will not be, but at least you will not be 32:57 able to recover the time past is past. 32:59 At least you can use properly the time from now on. 33:02 Pastor, I want to save as many as possible. 33:04 And he with another family, with another group with myself, 33:08 small group, a few people, we went to a different location, 33:12 no church, and started a church. 33:14 And he worked, he became the head elder. 33:16 And with that group, the church grew like 20, 70 members. 33:20 I mean, you talk about a church. 33:22 So when Jesus comes, she died without seeing an answer. 33:27 But she will see him in heaven. 33:30 I say, wow, you're here. 33:32 Intercessory prayer is when you... 33:34 It's powerful. 33:35 Yes, absolutely. 33:36 So why don't you talk to this camera here right off to my 33:39 left here. 33:42 to them to encourage them to keep going forward? 33:46 Never, never stop praying. 33:49 God loves your child more than you love your child. 33:52 God gave his son... 33:54 The Spirit of Christ says that God loves us as much as he 33:57 loves Jesus Christ, his son. 33:59 God loves your child. 34:00 Always pray, never give up, never get discouraged. 34:03 Don't look to the appearances. 34:06 Look to Jesus. 34:07 Trust in him. 34:09 He works before you know. 34:11 He works the ways you don't know. 34:13 He's working. 34:14 Don't think just because you don't see it, it doesn't mean 34:16 God doesn't work. 34:17 God is answering every honest prayer. 34:20 You may not see him now, but he is working. 34:24 He'll do whatever possible to save that person that you pray 34:28 for. 34:31 What to do, because you have a part to do. 34:33 Not to give them hard time, you need to show Christ. 34:36 But not to leave them alone. 34:39 You need to also work with them. 34:41 Keep praying. 34:42 Amen. 34:44 What a great story, you know. 34:46 Very encouraging. 34:50 see Jesus answer those prayers, going to sleep in Jesus, not 34:54 knowing the answer that was on its way. 34:57 And what an incredible testimony. 34:59 Not just her son becoming the head elder and accepting Jesus. 35:03 He's bringing so many people to Jesus. 35:06 He's so many people being converted and finding Jesus. 35:10 That's incredible. 35:12 This is a terrible example. 35:15 Terrible on my side. 35:18 So, I don't know if you ever heard the story, but so the 35:23 place that we lived some time ago, we are not there anymore. 35:26 We sold the house and moved because our kids finished 35:28 school and they moved and anyway. 35:33 I usually, I believe what the Spirit of the Prophet says. 35:38 She says, not everybody can go in a foreign land as a 35:41 missionary, but everyone is called to be a missionary in 35:45 his neighborhood. 35:46 Yes, that's right. 35:47 I believe that. 35:48 And she says, those that have been truly converted have a 35:52 passion for the laws. 35:53 They love people. 35:54 They love God and they love people. 35:56 She says, those who don't love people, they have never 35:58 understood God. 35:59 They don't know God. 36:00 They have never been truly converted. 36:02 The Bible clearly says, if you say you love God and you don't 36:05 love your neighbor, you are a liar. 36:07 And the love of God is not in you. 36:09 That's right. 36:10 So, God is going to make us responsible for those people. 36:14 They will say, you knew it and you didn't tell me. 36:17 And the Bible says that we are the watchmen. 36:20 And if we don't give the sound and they perish, their blood is 36:25 going to be required. 36:27 At our hands. 36:27 We will be accountable for it. 36:29 We will pay for their blood. 36:30 But if we give the sound, if they come or not, that's their 36:33 business. 36:33 It's between them and God. 36:34 That's right. 36:35 But we will not be responsible. 36:37 But we may even see them in heaven. 36:39 So, every place I go, I don't consider that God gave me a 36:43 house so I have a house. 36:44 God gave me a house because God loves those neighbors. 36:47 He died for those. 36:48 He values those neighbors. 36:51 So, I always pray for opportunity. 36:52 I pray in the neighborhood around the homes. 36:54 That's great. 36:58 And then, I love gardening. 37:02 Oh yes, you do. 37:05 away. 37:06 I'm happy. 37:06 Sometimes I talk to the tomatoes. 37:08 I know it sounds crazy, but I just love it. 37:10 Oh, it makes sense. 37:11 So, then I guess if you're crazy, I am too because I do 37:14 the same thing. 37:15 So, I go in my garden and I look there to the blessings and 37:19 those vegetables from the garden have taste. 37:22 They are not like the ones you buy. 37:23 That's right. 37:26 able to sell and to buy, what do you eat if you don't buy? 37:29 Yes. 37:30 I have a big garden. 37:32 But anyway, so, you know, countryside. 37:36 And so, I go to the garden and I take the vegetables and I go 37:41 to the neighbors. 37:42 And first time I don't tell them, I need to repent. 37:45 I just, hey, I'm the neighbor. 37:46 I'm the new neighbor. 37:48 We have plenty of tomatoes. 37:50 We don't want them to go to waste. 37:51 We like to give them some. 37:52 Oh, thank you, neighbor. 37:53 You are a good neighbor. 37:56 A week later, I go again. 37:57 Hey, I got some cucumbers or I got a watermelon. 37:59 Oh, thank you. 38:01 After you do that two, three times, the message is that you 38:03 are a good person. 38:05 You care. 38:05 You are a good neighbor. 38:06 They start to like you. 38:07 They start to trust you. 38:08 So, I go and I say, hey, I have a book. 38:11 I give them tomatoes and the book. 38:12 Yeah. 38:13 They say, oh, okay. 38:14 Now, you're not a stranger. 38:15 They say, what? 38:16 I don't need the book. 38:17 You are a friend. 38:18 That's right. 38:21 I believe, I strongly believe in prayer. 38:23 I would like to pray for you. 38:25 Tell me what to pray for. 38:26 You know, when I go home, I'll pray. 38:28 I don't ask to pray right there. 38:30 When I go home, I'll pray for you. 38:31 I have a group of prayer. 38:32 We have seen answers to prayers, you know. 38:34 And then next time I go, I say, can I pray for you now? 38:37 And gradually, slowly, you know, and people start to say, 38:40 hey, he's the pastor of the neighborhood. 38:42 Oh, wow. 38:45 for my son, for my wife, my job, my health, my whatever. 38:48 And so I move to the neighborhood. 38:50 We bought a house. 38:51 I go to the neighbor to the right. 38:54 Big beard, he comes to the door with a gun. 38:56 Oh, wow. 38:58 A little intimidating. 38:59 What do you want? 39:00 I'm the neighbor. 39:01 You just bought this house. 39:02 Yes. 39:04 I say, I got some tomatoes for you. 39:06 Oh, so sweet. 39:07 He puts the gun down. 39:08 He takes the tomatoes. 39:09 The neighbor that was before you, he was terrible. 39:11 He was crooked. 39:12 He deceived us. 39:13 He wanted to sue us. 39:14 He went on and on and on. 39:17 I give him the tomatoes. 39:18 I go. 39:18 I come again a few days later. 39:20 I bring tomatoes and the book. 39:22 He said, I'd like to pray for you. 39:23 I said, well, we don't go to church. 39:25 I said, did I ask you to go to church? 39:28 No. 39:29 I said, I'd like to pray for you. 39:31 What do you want me to pray for? 39:32 What is it that you struggle with? 39:34 He puts his head down. 39:36 He calls his wife. 39:38 She comes. 39:39 He takes her like this and says, we've been married for so 39:41 many years and we have tried to have children. 39:44 We don't have children. 39:46 So I said, can I pray for you? 39:49 And I make a parenthesis. 39:52 I pray many times for many people and many times for 39:54 myself. 39:56 And sometimes I see answer prayers the way I pray and 39:59 sometimes I don't see that. 40:03 That may answer differently or he may answer in different 40:05 time. 40:06 But I've seen something that I think I'm right. 40:10 I'm not sure, but I think I'm right. 40:12 Every time when the prayer is meant not necessarily to help 40:17 them, but to help them in order so they know Christ and they 40:21 are saved, then God answers. 40:23 It's like if you remember when Jesus resurrected Lazarus, what 40:28 did he pray? 40:33 What was the goal? 40:35 Not that Lazarus lives another 2, 3, 5 years and die, but that 40:37 they accept Jesus as Messiah. 40:40 When he healed the paralysed guy that was coming from the 40:45 ceiling and all, his friends lured him to the ceiling, he 40:48 just said, your sins are forgiven. 40:50 Who is this? 40:52 That's blasphemy. 40:54 And he says, for you to know, what was the purpose of the 40:57 healing? 40:58 For you to know that the Son of Man has power to I say, what 41:02 was the purpose? 41:03 So Jesus many times did miracles not for the sake of 41:07 helping people temporarily. 41:08 He didn't come to give us comfort in this life. 41:10 He came and died to give us eternal life. 41:13 He even said in this life, you'll have troubles. 41:16 That's right. 41:17 And he said, if it's necessary, it's better for you to lose a 41:19 leg or an eye instead of losing eternity. 41:23 So if that prayer answered would help them know God and 41:29 experience Him and commit their life to Him and be saved, God 41:31 would do anything. 41:33 Not to the purpose necessarily to do the miracle, but to the 41:36 purpose to save them, to get their attention. 41:40 And so I prayed, I said, Lord, these precious people are 41:45 looking for a baby. 41:47 If you want to give them a baby, please do so, if not, 41:50 not. 41:54 how much they love the baby and understand how much you love 41:57 them because they are your babies. 41:59 And they will know you through the baby. 42:01 Wow, that's powerful. 42:03 He looks to me, I've never heard anybody praying that way. 42:07 People that I know pray the prayers that are in our prayer 42:09 book. 42:12 One year later, she was pregnant. 42:15 Anyway, so then I go to the next neighbor and I give them 42:18 vegetables and I pray with him. 42:20 His wife had cancer. 42:21 And then I go to the next neighbor. 42:23 Now across the street in the left side of our house and he 42:26 lost his wife to cancer. 42:28 He lost his daughter to cancer. 42:30 His son was in a car accident, got paralyzed. 42:32 That man was hit from all directions. 42:35 And I pray with him. 42:37 And then I go to the next door neighbor in the left side. 42:41 I knock on the door, he opens the door. 42:42 When I start knocking, he says, you have an accident. 42:44 I said, yes. 42:46 You immigrants. 42:48 And he starts cursing me. 42:51 And he uses really bad words that I cannot even say a letter 42:54 or anything. 42:56 Bad words. 42:58 You immigrants, we hate you, you should die, you should go 43:01 back to your country. 43:02 He says, if you ever come to my door, I'm going to call the 43:05 police. 43:06 I hate you, go away! 43:07 Screaming, calling me names. 43:09 All that dirt, all that garbage, all that... 43:14 I needed Q-tips to clean my ears after that. 43:17 But anyway, so I go home and tell my wife, honey, we move 43:21 next to Satan, honey. 43:22 She says, what? 43:23 I hate a lot of hate. 43:24 So I tell her. 43:26 And she says, no, nothing happens by chance. 43:29 She says, God put us here for him. 43:32 I say, no, no, no, no, no. 43:33 You cannot save that person. 43:36 You never know people like Paul, a persecutor. 43:39 You never know. 43:41 People that you expect to be saved probably will never 43:43 change. 43:43 You never know. 43:44 God knows the future. 43:45 You should pray for everybody. 43:47 So my wife says, honey, get out of ministry. 43:49 I say, what? 43:51 You better than anybody should know that you should pray for 43:54 everybody. 43:54 You should love everybody. 43:57 who hate us. 43:58 Why are you a minister? 44:00 I say, oh, come on, honey. 44:02 I already have stomach pain from his curses. 44:05 He says, that's another reason to pray for him. 44:08 Wow. 44:09 You have a good wife. 44:10 But next day, and next week, and next month, every time I 44:14 get outside in the backyard, in the front yard, on the deck, he 44:17 sees me, he starts screaming and cursing. 44:19 He called the police on us. 44:20 He called the police that we, our dogs keep barking and wake 44:23 him up. 44:23 He called the police. 44:25 He made our life miserable. 44:28 Cursing, I would hate to even go outside to see him because 44:31 he would curse and scream. 44:33 Oh, and so my wife says, that's because you don't pray. 44:37 I'm praying. 44:38 She says, oh, I heard you pray. 44:41 That's no intercessory prayer. 44:43 That's, she said, entitled prayer. 44:46 I said, what do you mean? 44:47 He says, you pray, Lord, change this man because he gives us 44:50 such a hard time. 44:50 She says, you are worried about your hard time. 44:54 I said, what do you want me to say? 44:56 He says, forget yourself. 44:58 Pray for him. 44:59 Care for him as Jesus cares for him. 45:01 Say, oh Lord, change him. 45:03 She says, don't pray that God changes him. 45:05 Pray that God will change you. 45:06 I said, okay, man. 45:07 This is a prayer of surrender. 45:09 Yes, it is. 45:10 She said, intercessory prayer is to be like Jesus. 45:14 Amen. 45:15 I said, what do you mean? 45:17 She says, unless you are willing to die for that man, 45:19 you will never be like Jesus. 45:21 So he says, Lord, pray this prayer, Lord. 45:24 Do whatever it takes. 45:26 I am willing to give you to surrender my life. 45:28 If my life would save this man, I am ready to die if I know 45:32 that he will be in heaven. 45:33 He says, honey, I cannot pray that prayer. 45:36 What if God answers it? 45:38 I know. 45:39 She says, then you are not a Christian. 45:42 She says, you don't love people. 45:44 If you love people the way Jesus loves people, you would 45:47 not value your life as Jesus didn't value his life. 45:49 You think about eternal life, not this life. 45:51 In this life, you are called to serve Jesus. 45:55 Oh, I didn't like that. 45:56 I went to my bedroom upset, but I started to think. 46:01 So I kneel down and I said, Lord, this is a difficult 46:03 prayer and I really hope you don't answer it. 46:06 You are just being honest with God. 46:07 I am willing to surrender my life. 46:09 Hopefully you don't need that, but please do whatever it takes 46:14 to save this man. 46:16 That's beautiful. 46:17 What happened when I prayed that prayer? 46:20 No miracle or not, he didn't stop cursing. 46:22 But instantly I was angry every day. 46:26 I felt peace. 46:27 When he would curse me, I would just feel sorry for him and go 46:30 back and pray another prayer. 46:32 Lord, I am not going to leave you alone before you save this 46:34 man. 46:36 I want him to be my best friend in heaven. 46:41 God was changing you. 46:42 A few days later, I hear a noise outside. 46:45 I look, his dogs that he always keeps inside are playing with 46:49 my dogs. 46:51 In your yard? 46:52 In my yard. 46:53 So I go down and I love animals. 46:56 I just love them. 46:57 My dogs are spoiled. 46:59 They have a better life than many people do. 47:02 So I go down and I give them organic treats like sweet 47:07 potatoes that are dry. 47:09 I give them this and I give them that and I hug them and I 47:12 play with them and I pet them and I, you know, and the dogs 47:16 love me. 47:17 And then I look and he is at the border of the property, 47:21 looking like that. 47:24 So I say, hello. 47:26 He doesn't answer. 47:27 He is like a star, like a not moving, like a statue, you 47:32 know. 47:33 So I said, come on puppies, let's go home, come on. 47:35 And I get them to him. 47:36 I said, take your dogs. 47:38 And I noticed when I planted my garden, it was on the mountain 47:43 rocks. 47:45 Nothing would grow. 47:46 So I put 11 trailers of compost within cinder blocks. 47:53 Yeah, kind of like a raised bed. 47:55 Like a raised bed and everything grew. 47:57 I noticed the neighbor's wife trying. 48:00 All the plants died when they were so small. 48:02 Nothing grew, zero. 48:05 So I've been praying, God give me wisdom if there is something 48:08 I can do. 48:09 And in that moment, God inspired me. 48:11 And I said, I gave him the dogs and I said, come over. 48:15 He says, no. 48:17 I said, come over. 48:18 Why, did my dogs poop and now you want me to clean? 48:21 I said, no, no, no, no, no, come over. 48:23 Did they do any damage and you want me to pay? 48:25 I said, no, just come for a second. 48:27 I want to show you something. 48:28 What? 48:29 Just come for one second, please. 48:32 I promise. 48:35 Very, you know, suspicious. 48:36 Oh, yes. 48:39 And I take him to the garden. 48:42 I say, help yourself. 48:45 Big, and we had like plants that were nine, 10 feet tall, 48:48 50, 60 tomatoes per plant. 48:49 Big tomatoes, I put them, I have pictures. 48:51 Put them on the scale, 1.4, 1.8 pounds of tomatoes. 48:54 Oh, those are big tomatoes. 48:56 Big tomatoes. 48:57 I said, help yourself. 48:58 Wow, big watermelons, 3.2 feet or whatever. 49:01 Over 3 feet watermelons. 49:04 I mean, eggplants. 49:05 If you see the eggplant, you hold it. 49:07 I have pictures actually, I can prove that because somebody 49:10 told me, you exaggerate. 49:11 I showed him the pictures with eggplant on the scale. 49:13 Yes, okay, yep. 49:14 Can't deny that. 49:15 3.98 pounds, one eggplant. 49:17 That was a big, three. 49:19 Three, no, that's huge. 49:21 Almost four pounds. 49:22 Not all of them that big, but many and big and nice because 49:26 of the compost, manure, you know, rich. 49:30 But anyway, so he says, oh, nice garden. 49:35 I said, help yourself. 49:36 He took the tomatoes and he left. 49:37 I said, no, no, no, come back. 49:38 He said, you want me to pay? 49:39 I said, no. 49:40 I gave him a basket. 49:41 I said, fill it up. 49:42 No, no, no. 49:42 I said, okay. 49:46 and I put okra and I filled the basket. 49:49 He holds the basket looking like big eyes. 49:52 And I said, I'm going to take a big watermelon and follow you 49:55 because he could not carry it. 49:58 And he puts it down. 49:59 He says, how much do you want me to pay? 50:01 I said, nothing. 50:02 We are neighbors. 50:03 Neighbors help one another. 50:06 He's quiet for a second. 50:06 He says, can I call my wife? 50:08 I said, duh, it's your wife. 50:11 I mean, you asked me permission to call her. 50:13 Call her. 50:14 He calls her and he says, honey, come over. 50:16 Where? 50:17 The neighbor. 50:17 What neighbor? 50:18 He says, you know. 50:20 She says, what? 50:21 He says, the neighbor? 50:23 She says, the immigrants? 50:24 He says, yes. 50:25 And she says, is it safe? 50:27 He says, yes. 50:29 Should I take our son with us? 50:31 He says, no need. 50:32 They have a tall son. 50:35 And she comes and he takes her to the garden. 50:38 She says, wow. 50:39 And she sees the basket. 50:40 What about this? 50:41 He says, the neighbor gave it to us. 50:42 How much? 50:42 He says, for free. 50:44 And she looks to me and she looks to the basket. 50:46 She says, why do you do that? 50:47 Don't you know that we hate you? 50:49 I said, no, you just don't know me. 50:50 You don't hate me. 50:51 Don't you hate us? 50:52 I said, no, I am praying for you. 50:54 What? 50:55 It's beautiful. 50:57 And she gets tears in her eyes. 50:59 He says, why would you do that? 51:00 I said, because that's what we are supposed to do. 51:02 To be good neighbors, to help one another. 51:05 He says, we have been hating you and you have been praying 51:08 for us. 51:09 I said, yes. 51:11 I said, you tell me what to pray for and I will be 51:12 delighted to pray for you. 51:14 He says, well, I cannot sleep, she says. 51:17 I take pills. 51:17 I went to the doctor. 51:18 I cannot sleep. 51:19 And I get angry. 51:20 And I fight my husband. 51:21 And I have no joy. 51:22 I have no peace. 51:23 I am shaking because I have nights and nights and nights 51:26 but not one hour of sleep. 51:27 I said, come here. 51:29 Close your eyes. 51:30 I put my hands around them. 51:32 I said, Lord, help her sleep like a baby tonight so she 51:36 knows you. 51:36 And she knows that you love her. 51:38 And she would trust you and know you and experience you. 51:42 She called me and says, I slept last night. 51:45 I said, hallelujah. 51:47 And she said, God put you here for us. 51:50 I said, well, I think God put you here for me. 51:53 She says, you are such a patient guy. 51:55 I said, well, you better talk to my wife. 51:58 But what is intercessory prayer is not only to pray for people 52:03 but pray that God would give you the courage not to do 52:07 nothing but to do something. 52:10 Give them a bread. 52:11 Go visit them. 52:13 Pray for them. 52:15 God put you there. 52:16 You have a responsibility. 52:18 Jesus loves them. 52:20 We should end in prayer too. 52:22 We should. 52:25 we reach others and you just answered. 52:27 So very powerful. 52:29 You know that personal story getting ourselves out of the 52:32 way. 52:37 wants to do. 52:38 But when you prayed that prayer of surrender and prayed for 52:40 them the miracles that began to happen and it was for their 52:44 salvation. 52:45 I love that intercessory prayer. 52:47 Sometimes we think that if we go to church what is good we 52:50 should. 52:51 We should not miss church. 52:53 If we do this and do that we think it's enough because it's 52:57 comfortable and easy. 52:59 But God wants us to surrender. 53:01 God wants us to love people. 53:02 God wants us to die to self. 53:04 Those things that Jesus did if we want to be like him. 53:08 Amen. 53:09 We'll spend some time in the closing moments. 53:11 We only have like 4 minutes left to the second hour. 53:14 So Pastor would you mind to again pray for those that are 53:17 viewing this evening whatever is on your heart. 53:19 Yes, yes. 53:19 Let's pray. 53:22 Father in heaven what a pleasure to know that you 53:26 answer our prayers. 53:29 Better than we ask. 53:31 That you love us. 53:33 If you gave Jesus how will you not also in Jesus give us all 53:36 things. 53:37 But sometimes we put our ideas and our plans above you and we 53:42 trust ourselves more than we trust you. 53:44 Help us to seek you before we seek blessings. 53:48 Help us to know you, to love you, to trust you, to walk with 53:51 you, to depend on you, to surrender daily. 53:55 Put in us your love for people. 53:58 Help us to pray for them in necessary prayer. 54:03 And then open our eyes. 54:05 We are so busy that we are... 54:07 We sometimes we are blind to people around. 54:10 Help us not to be so focused on self but rather open our eyes 54:13 to see the opportunities you give us. 54:16 To help others that are stressed that are in need 54:19 because they need Jesus. 54:21 Help us to reach our neighbors, our families, our friends. 54:25 Help us to pray for them and give us wisdom to know what to 54:30 do, when to do, how to do. 54:32 Give us wisdom, give us the Holy Spirit. 54:35 Give us love for people, Father, because we want to see 54:37 as many as possible in your Kingdom. 54:40 I pray for the listeners, Father. 54:42 They have families, they have friends, they have neighbors, 54:46 co -workers, colleagues. 54:49 I pray that you fill them with your Spirit. 54:52 And that you give them wisdom and use them for precious 54:56 people that will be in your Kingdom for eternity. 55:00 Father, complete our prayers because you know exactly what 55:03 we need. 55:08 And we know though it is impossible for us, we know it's 55:12 not impossible for you. 55:13 We so many times say it's impossible because we look to 55:15 problems instead of looking to you. 55:18 Help us to fix our eyes on you. 55:20 We pray in Jesus' name and thank you for answering. 55:23 We love you and we praise you. 55:25 Amen. 55:27 Thank you so very much, Pastor. 55:29 It's a blessing to talk to God. 55:31 And I've been encouraged this evening from just what you had 55:34 to share but the testimonies. 55:36 We can tell you have a communication and a walk with 55:38 God. 55:39 And we want to encourage you also. 55:41 You know, 3ABN does have a pastoral department, a prayer 55:44 line. 55:45 And you're welcome to call that line. 55:47 You can see the number on the bottom of your screen. 55:49 But again, if you are listening on radio, you can't see that 55:52 graphic. 55:53 So here's the number. 55:54 It's 618-627-4651. 55:58 Just asked to talk to our pastoral department. 56:01 They'd be so happy, so delighted to pray with you. 56:04 Or if you don't want to do that, you can always email in a 56:07 prayer request and we'll just send that right on to the 56:09 pastoral department. 56:11 But what a blessing, you know, Jill, to be able to again talk 56:14 to God, to talk about this topic of prayer. 56:17 You know, it changes lives. 56:19 And wow, to talk to God, what a blessing. 56:21 I'm so encouraged. 56:22 Amen, me too. 56:23 Well, thank you so much, Pastor Pavel Goyer, for being here 56:27 this evening, for sharing from your heart the Holy Spirit used 56:30 you in a powerful way. 56:32 And we just pray God's blessing and anointing over your 56:35 continued ministry for him. 56:36 Thank you. 56:40 well. 56:41 Those dates are June 4th through 7th. 56:43 So we look forward to having you join us either in person or 56:47 watching on 3ABN as well. 56:48 That's right. 56:53 else. 56:56 Because when we pray for others, it not only allows God 57:00 to work in their lives, but it changes us as well. 57:03 We love you and we pray for you. 57:05 We will see you next time. 57:07 Good night. |
Revised 2025-04-03