WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.260 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:25.880 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons. 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:30.420 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:31.260 the latest message. 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:32.460 Thanks for listening. 00:00:44.740 --> 00:00:45.680 Well, good morning. 00:00:46.820 --> 00:00:50.660 If you've got your Bible with you, and I hope you do, if you could open up to Colossians 00:00:50.660 --> 00:00:53.580 chapter 4, which is where we are going to be today. 00:00:53.580 --> 00:00:58.640 As Joel said, we are starting our new series covering prayer. 00:00:58.740 --> 00:01:03.700 We're going to look at five different passages of Scripture that talk about prayer over the 00:01:03.700 --> 00:01:04.860 next five weeks. 00:01:05.020 --> 00:01:11.020 And our goal in this is that you and I, together as a congregation, as a family, as a church 00:01:11.020 --> 00:01:17.480 body, that we can grow in prayer and seek to be obedient to God's Word and apply that accurately 00:01:17.480 --> 00:01:18.860 to our lives. 00:01:18.860 --> 00:01:22.020 One of the things that we're doing, and this whole message is going to kind of be built 00:01:22.020 --> 00:01:25.680 around this, is we're walking through a prayer journey together. 00:01:25.820 --> 00:01:32.360 We threw out this challenge, I believe, about a month ago to see if we could fill every hour 00:01:32.360 --> 00:01:39.620 of every day of a week for five weeks so that the people of Willow Ridge Church are united 00:01:39.620 --> 00:01:42.640 together in prayer, working through that together. 00:01:42.780 --> 00:01:45.040 And I'm going to tell you guys, super excited. 00:01:45.220 --> 00:01:50.840 We, as of this morning, had 103 of us had committed to do that. 00:01:51.080 --> 00:01:57.780 So if my public school math does me correctly, that's 65 more of us that need to sign up. 00:01:57.980 --> 00:01:59.440 You still have time this morning. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:00.560 Here's the challenge. 00:02:00.660 --> 00:02:02.960 Let's create a little awkwardness at lunch. 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:04.500 Wives, look at your husbands. 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:06.180 Say, did you sign up? 00:02:06.540 --> 00:02:06.800 All right? 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:09.880 Husbands, look at your wives and say, did you sign up? 00:02:09.940 --> 00:02:10.180 All right? 00:02:10.380 --> 00:02:12.340 And if you haven't, then sign up together. 00:02:12.440 --> 00:02:14.840 It'll be a wonderful time as we go through God's Word. 00:02:14.940 --> 00:02:20.140 We do have these prayer guides that are here and want to make sure that you grab those and 00:02:20.140 --> 00:02:26.400 make sure that you have an opportunity to pray with us as we go through this season and 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:28.180 as we go through this study together. 00:02:28.900 --> 00:02:31.400 Also, our Utah Missions team is there. 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:32.800 Joel spoke to that. 00:02:32.920 --> 00:02:34.820 They are safe and they are sound. 00:02:35.220 --> 00:02:42.200 When Dustin Stopman spoke here this past spring, he said, man, summertime in Utah is wonderful. 00:02:42.580 --> 00:02:44.960 Man, it's like peaking at like 80 degrees. 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:49.440 So where it's like 105 in South Carolina, it's low 80s in Utah. 00:02:49.720 --> 00:02:52.440 And then we've like flipped that for the last several weeks. 00:02:52.580 --> 00:02:56.220 And even though it's getting warmer here, it is staying at those temperatures there. 00:02:56.480 --> 00:03:00.100 And so make sure that you're praying for them with that as they minister. 00:03:00.600 --> 00:03:05.560 But also, and we're going to pray for them in just a minute, let's pray for the work that 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:08.360 they're going to do, the conversations they're going to be having. 00:03:08.860 --> 00:03:14.000 And like Dustin shared with us, and I'm going to remind us every week as we think about this, 00:03:14.380 --> 00:03:17.560 there are going to be men and women and families who've never heard the gospel, who've never 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:18.540 been invited to a church. 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:22.260 And our high school students are going to have the opportunity to engage them with the gospel 00:03:22.260 --> 00:03:26.980 and invite them to a Jesus-loving, gospel-spreading church. 00:03:26.980 --> 00:03:28.900 And so we're excited about that opportunity. 00:03:29.460 --> 00:03:32.940 Before we go into God's word this morning, let's go ahead and go to him in prayer. 00:03:33.980 --> 00:03:37.740 God, I just come to you this morning thanking you for who you are, Lord, for what you've done. 00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:43.660 Lord, I thank you so much as we sang the song, Lord, that we proclaim that it's through you 00:03:43.660 --> 00:03:46.740 and you alone that we find life and hope and freedom. 00:03:47.160 --> 00:03:49.580 And so, Lord, we thank you for the grace of God. 00:03:49.660 --> 00:03:52.880 We thank you for the cross and the powerful work that Christ did. 00:03:52.960 --> 00:04:00.300 We thank you that he overcame the grave, Lord, and that we can rest fully in him, in who we are, 00:04:01.040 --> 00:04:01.800 find our hope. 00:04:02.640 --> 00:04:07.540 Lord, be with this missions team as they're there in Utah. 00:04:08.660 --> 00:04:10.960 Lord, give them boldness that comes from you. 00:04:11.720 --> 00:04:13.880 Lord, give them the words that come from you. 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:25.380 And, Lord, we pray that hearts would be drawn to you and that, Lord, men and women and children would come to faith in Christ. 00:04:26.080 --> 00:04:33.420 Lord, keep them safe, keep them healthy, but more importantly, Lord, keep them bold for the gospel. 00:04:34.300 --> 00:04:35.460 And it's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:04:35.780 --> 00:04:36.060 Amen. 00:04:36.380 --> 00:04:36.620 Amen. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:38.960 Well, I'm going to be honest with you guys. 00:04:39.100 --> 00:04:46.480 I am probably more excited about this message series than I've been excited about a message series in a long time. 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:53.040 Now, that doesn't mean that I haven't been excited about others, but as this anticipation has been moving forward 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:58.960 and knowing what we're going to do, as I signed up for my time, my time is 4 a.m. on Sunday morning, 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:03.120 so technically that starts next week, but I told Aaron we were getting ready to go to bed last night, 00:05:03.380 --> 00:05:09.460 and I said, I'm going to think I'm going to start mine today, so this morning got up at 3.30 and headed on down to the church, 00:05:09.540 --> 00:05:17.480 got here right at 4 and had my time in prayer for this service, for you guys, for what God is going to do. 00:05:17.780 --> 00:05:22.980 Prayed for our first-time guests, just so many prayed for myself that God would give me his words, 00:05:22.980 --> 00:05:30.760 and I'm excited to see the transformation of what God's going to do as we pause within the busyness, 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:35.080 within the chaos, within everything that's in our lives and said, you know what, Lord? 00:05:35.200 --> 00:05:38.860 We're going to take some time and focus on prayer. 00:05:39.060 --> 00:05:41.440 We're going to focus in on our relationship with you. 00:05:41.580 --> 00:05:43.200 We're going to devote ourselves. 00:05:43.460 --> 00:05:46.600 We're going to be watchful, and this is how we're going to come to you in prayer. 00:05:46.760 --> 00:05:47.560 And I'm going to be honest with you. 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:51.160 I'm excited to see what God is going to do. 00:05:51.400 --> 00:05:55.060 I'm excited to hear your individual stories through this journey, 00:05:55.060 --> 00:06:00.200 but I'm also excited to see our journey as a body, as a church family, 00:06:00.380 --> 00:06:06.000 of how God is going to take us and transform us and mold us and shape us 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:10.160 and renew us for his name and for his glory. 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:15.740 And so I am so excited as we're going to be navigating through these different passages of Scripture, 00:06:16.180 --> 00:06:21.020 gleaning from it what God has for us, and then applying that to our lives. 00:06:21.080 --> 00:06:25.060 And so let's go ahead and dive in and read from our first passage this morning, 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:28.240 Colossians chapter 4, starting in verse 2. 00:06:28.780 --> 00:06:30.260 Paul writes, and he says, 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:38.280 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 00:06:39.440 --> 00:06:47.480 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the Word 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:54.180 to declare the mystery of Christ on account of which I am in prison, 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:59.540 that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:03.660 So a couple of things that we're going to look at and we want to point at 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:08.220 and kind of lay as a foundation for us as we go through these passages of Scripture. 00:07:08.840 --> 00:07:15.620 Each week we will not give a full exhaustive look at everything associated with prayer 00:07:15.620 --> 00:07:17.740 and then wrap it up and say we're good to go. 00:07:18.260 --> 00:07:25.700 Each week what we hope to do is continue to build one week after another of what God has for us. 00:07:25.700 --> 00:07:31.400 And so I know that that summertime is crazy and I'm super encouraged as we look out into the auditorium 00:07:31.400 --> 00:07:34.480 and say we've got like one small section that's not occupied. 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:36.280 So here's what I want to challenge you with. 00:07:36.440 --> 00:07:37.460 Let's keep this up. 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:44.280 Let's keep this momentum as we look to grow in prayer and each week build on one another. 00:07:44.520 --> 00:07:44.820 All right? 00:07:44.940 --> 00:07:50.600 Also something I want to point to because I feel like so many of us are going to fall into one of these camps. 00:07:50.700 --> 00:07:55.680 No matter where you feel like you are concerning prayer, 00:07:56.440 --> 00:07:59.780 there will be both God's grace and God's truth for you. 00:07:59.820 --> 00:08:01.480 And here's what I mean by that. 00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:08.760 Some of you, when we talk about prayer, every insecurity in faith comes up for you. 00:08:10.160 --> 00:08:11.680 I don't know how to pray. 00:08:12.440 --> 00:08:14.280 I don't have the words to say. 00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:16.660 I don't pray like I should. 00:08:17.180 --> 00:08:18.880 I don't really know what to do. 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:25.840 And if that's you, let me say to you in this, there's God's grace for you in that. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:31.920 There's God's grace for you in that as Satan's trying to speak into your life. 00:08:32.040 --> 00:08:33.660 You can't, you can't, you can't. 00:08:33.880 --> 00:08:35.220 God says you can through me. 00:08:35.800 --> 00:08:36.060 All right? 00:08:36.680 --> 00:08:42.360 The second group of us that may find their spots in here are the self-proclaimed prayer warriors. 00:08:42.580 --> 00:08:43.420 I got it. 00:08:43.540 --> 00:08:44.260 I'm good. 00:08:44.420 --> 00:08:45.060 I pray. 00:08:45.380 --> 00:08:46.400 This is what I do. 00:08:46.660 --> 00:08:47.880 This is what I'm all about. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:51.580 Well, I want to encourage you where there's God's truth for you, right? 00:08:51.580 --> 00:08:58.620 That in this, there's areas for us, for you and I to still grow within here as we look 00:08:58.620 --> 00:09:03.540 at God's word, as God's word is explained to us, and as we're continued to be transformed 00:09:03.540 --> 00:09:08.640 and sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, all right? 00:09:08.840 --> 00:09:16.220 So no matter what crowd you find yourself in, on either extreme or anywhere in between, that 00:09:16.220 --> 00:09:22.120 we're going to see is God working in our life for God's grace and God's truth for prayer, 00:09:22.300 --> 00:09:22.620 all right? 00:09:23.240 --> 00:09:28.580 So here's going to be a kind of a working definition of prayer for us over the next five weeks. 00:09:29.880 --> 00:09:39.060 Prayer is the expression of our faith in God and our dependence on God through requests and 00:09:39.060 --> 00:09:41.880 declarations made to God. 00:09:42.140 --> 00:09:47.500 And so each week, we're going to kind of continue to build on this and work through this. 00:09:47.800 --> 00:09:51.040 If you were to say, like, if I were to say to you, like, what is prayer? 00:09:51.180 --> 00:09:56.440 For us, this isn't an all-encompassing, but a working definition that we can go through. 00:09:56.780 --> 00:10:02.620 Prayer is the expression of our faith in God and our dependence on God through requests 00:10:02.620 --> 00:10:04.960 and declarations made to God, all right? 00:10:04.980 --> 00:10:08.460 So a couple things about prayer before we even get into Colossians. 00:10:08.520 --> 00:10:11.180 Number one, like, we pray to God, all right? 00:10:11.180 --> 00:10:15.280 Now, for some of us, there might be a break or difficulty in that. 00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:20.520 For some of us, depending on our background, depending on our worldview, depending on how 00:10:20.520 --> 00:10:24.000 you got here and your history, this may be a disconnected. 00:10:24.160 --> 00:10:26.640 For some of us, I mean, this is what I've known my whole life. 00:10:27.300 --> 00:10:30.900 But let's look and establish that we pray to God. 00:10:31.780 --> 00:10:33.160 We're not praying to ancestors. 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:34.480 We're not praying to people. 00:10:35.560 --> 00:10:37.180 We're not praying to religious leaders. 00:10:37.940 --> 00:10:41.900 That when we pray, we pray to God and not anyone else. 00:10:42.660 --> 00:10:48.800 That as we pray, what we're doing is that prayer is a work and an action of faith. 00:10:48.980 --> 00:10:53.260 It's saying that, God, I trust you, so I make my requests. 00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:59.140 I make my declarations known to you because to you and you alone do I trust fully. 00:11:00.640 --> 00:11:01.840 And it's why we're made to God. 00:11:02.680 --> 00:11:05.600 That prayer shows our dependence on God. 00:11:05.820 --> 00:11:08.320 So not only our faith, but our dependence. 00:11:08.420 --> 00:11:14.880 We've talked a lot about this as we wrapped up our study in Luke, that we are fully dependent 00:11:14.880 --> 00:11:19.900 on the Lord, that the more we mature in Christ, the more we realize we need him, the more we 00:11:19.900 --> 00:11:22.220 cling to him, the more we're dependent on him. 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:25.100 And our prayers should be a reflection of that. 00:11:25.220 --> 00:11:30.320 When we look at the Pharisee and the tax collector that came before that, that Jesus told about 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:31.560 it in that parable, right? 00:11:31.640 --> 00:11:34.360 The Pharisee stands up and says, look at me, look at what all I've done. 00:11:34.460 --> 00:11:37.340 And the tax collector proclaims his dependence on the Lord. 00:11:37.460 --> 00:11:42.100 And that's where we want to fall in, that our faith and dependence is on God. 00:11:42.100 --> 00:11:44.600 And this happens through two things. 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:49.040 It's going to happen through our requests and our declarations, all right? 00:11:49.580 --> 00:11:56.380 I want to have just a moment of conversation and clarity when it comes to prayers that we 00:11:56.380 --> 00:11:57.800 lift up to the Lord. 00:11:58.340 --> 00:12:01.860 When it comes to requests, church, tell him how you feel. 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:04.600 Tell him what you want. 00:12:05.980 --> 00:12:06.980 Tell him what you need. 00:12:07.740 --> 00:12:15.700 Can we be honest and come to the Lord with all that has burdened us, with all that we feel 00:12:15.700 --> 00:12:20.320 like we're carrying, with all that we're desperate for, and bring it before him? 00:12:22.220 --> 00:12:24.240 But can we come also with our declarations? 00:12:25.720 --> 00:12:27.040 Reveal to him your heart. 00:12:27.980 --> 00:12:29.200 Reveal to him your desperation. 00:12:29.780 --> 00:12:32.680 Reveal to him your sins and your need for forgiveness. 00:12:32.920 --> 00:12:37.060 Because here's the thing of what scripture points to, he already knows anyways, right? 00:12:38.020 --> 00:12:38.760 He already knows. 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:44.120 It's so funny, like Christians, we say that the Lord knows our heart, but yet there's areas 00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:45.600 that we feel like we need to hold back from him. 00:12:46.860 --> 00:12:50.340 And he knows every corner of it. 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:57.020 And so as we come with our requests and declarations, let's be open and honest before the Lord. 00:12:57.700 --> 00:13:01.600 And this is as we go through for these next five weeks, I want this to just kind of ring 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:03.200 true, all right? 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:09.780 To understand that prayer is not a burden to God, that God loves prayer. 00:13:10.260 --> 00:13:14.400 All right, I want to ask parents and grandparents a question in here, all right? 00:13:14.760 --> 00:13:22.580 How many of you, by show of hands, have a kid or a grandkid or maybe multiple of them who 00:13:22.580 --> 00:13:24.740 like to ask questions? 00:13:24.880 --> 00:13:25.940 They're question askers. 00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:26.440 Raise your hand. 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:27.940 How many of y'all, all right? 00:13:27.980 --> 00:13:28.320 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:33.440 Most of the hands are going up in the room and one of my kids is kind of sweating it right 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:33.900 now, all right? 00:13:34.040 --> 00:13:39.280 Now, if you've got a question asker in your house, here's what they know. 00:13:39.800 --> 00:13:45.560 They know over time they can wear you down with the amount of questions, right? 00:13:45.660 --> 00:13:48.800 Like I'm seeing some parents like, yep, you've been in my house, you know what that's like, 00:13:48.820 --> 00:13:48.980 right? 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:49.740 Here's the thing. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:51.080 It's their gift, right? 00:13:51.100 --> 00:13:51.920 They enjoy it. 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:52.820 They thrive in it. 00:13:52.880 --> 00:13:54.320 They absolutely love it. 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:57.640 They're working like five more questions and dad is going to break. 00:13:57.860 --> 00:13:58.380 Watch this. 00:13:58.600 --> 00:13:59.700 Boom, boom, boom, right? 00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:06.620 And as parents, like it can get frustrating, like in our depravity for us as moms and dads, 00:14:06.920 --> 00:14:08.120 grandpas and grandmas, right? 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:10.700 No more questions. 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:12.340 Please stop. 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:18.720 I've told you, I don't know and legitimately, I'm confused right now and I don't know. 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:22.040 Stop asking me questions, all right? 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:23.700 This isn't God. 00:14:24.700 --> 00:14:25.360 It's not. 00:14:26.160 --> 00:14:28.240 It's not how God works. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:33.180 In fact, in Isaiah chapter 62, here's what God says to his people. 00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:39.220 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I've set watchmen all the day and all the night, that they shall 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:40.760 never be silent. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:46.620 You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and I love verse seven, and give him 00:14:46.620 --> 00:14:52.760 no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. 00:14:52.760 --> 00:14:57.220 God here says, wear me out with your prayers. 00:14:58.060 --> 00:14:58.780 Wear me out. 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:00.460 Because you can't. 00:15:01.340 --> 00:15:02.240 Because you can't. 00:15:03.280 --> 00:15:04.380 Do you know who God's not? 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:08.660 The parent on the road trip saying, hearing, are we there yet? 00:15:08.720 --> 00:15:09.420 Are we there yet? 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:10.180 Are we there yet? 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:10.440 Right? 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:12.180 That's not them. 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:13.740 That's not God. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:15.700 That's not who he is. 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:17.700 God says, you got this burden? 00:15:17.980 --> 00:15:18.660 Bring it to me. 00:15:18.660 --> 00:15:20.060 Well, I already brought it to God. 00:15:20.260 --> 00:15:23.560 Well, bring it again and bring it again and bring it again and bring it again and bring 00:15:23.560 --> 00:15:23.940 it again. 00:15:24.140 --> 00:15:25.960 God says, I can't be worn out. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:29.100 I don't need to rest, but see if you can get me to this point. 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:35.420 See what this is going to be like, and that's how God works, and God loves it. 00:15:36.060 --> 00:15:43.140 This past week, a friend of mine who's lost wrote this and broke my heart. 00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:49.940 I know God has more important things to do than take care of my problems, but could you 00:15:49.940 --> 00:15:51.220 please pray for me? 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:52.620 And he shared this request. 00:15:54.660 --> 00:15:59.140 And there's the realization that there's so many of us who feel that way. 00:16:00.160 --> 00:16:06.500 God has bigger things to take care of, bigger things that are on his heart or on his mind 00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:08.540 than me, and I just don't matter. 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.140 God loves prayers. 00:16:11.460 --> 00:16:13.180 He knows your requests. 00:16:13.540 --> 00:16:14.580 Bring them to him. 00:16:14.860 --> 00:16:15.880 God does not grow weary. 00:16:18.040 --> 00:16:25.500 And so my prayer for us is that we take that challenge on and that we come before the Lord 00:16:25.500 --> 00:16:29.020 and continually pour out to him. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:31.180 So let's get started. 00:16:31.300 --> 00:16:32.580 Colossians 4, I'm going to read it again. 00:16:34.160 --> 00:16:38.960 Paul says, continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 00:16:39.760 --> 00:16:46.400 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare 00:16:46.400 --> 00:16:52.640 the mystery of Christ on account of which I am in prison, that I may make it clear which 00:16:52.640 --> 00:16:54.780 is how I ought to speak. 00:16:55.340 --> 00:16:59.560 So four things I want us to see, to take away from prayer this morning, to lay the foundation 00:16:59.560 --> 00:17:00.600 for us is this. 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:03.220 Number one, prayer demands devotion. 00:17:04.100 --> 00:17:05.080 Prayer demands devotion. 00:17:05.240 --> 00:17:10.220 Paul begins off this passage by saying, continue steadfastly in prayer. 00:17:10.320 --> 00:17:12.320 So let's look at this phrase real quickly. 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:18.200 Continue steadfastly means to devote oneself or to be strong in something. 00:17:18.840 --> 00:17:27.660 So Paul says, hey, get strong in this, be devoted in this, be devoted in prayer, be strong in 00:17:27.660 --> 00:17:27.960 prayer. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:30.680 Don't let it be a weak spot of your life. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:33.220 Don't let it be an afterthought of your life. 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.780 Don't let it just be something that's there. 00:17:35.780 --> 00:17:40.060 Instead, allow this to be a defining moment in your life. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:45.840 In fact, six times in the New Testament, this phrase is used, I think it's important, the 00:17:45.840 --> 00:17:51.600 first three times that we see be devoted or be strong in prayer is found in the book of 00:17:51.600 --> 00:17:55.040 Acts, describing the early church and what they were doing. 00:17:55.340 --> 00:18:00.040 So they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to prayer. 00:18:00.300 --> 00:18:02.500 Three times it says that in the book of Acts. 00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:08.360 As the early church, as God's spirit begins to work and move in men and women, and in single 00:18:08.360 --> 00:18:15.100 days, thousands upon thousands of men, women, children, and children came to faith in Jesus 00:18:15.100 --> 00:18:18.020 Christ, even though death may await them. 00:18:18.380 --> 00:18:24.980 And what we see as a practice within who the church was is they were devoted to prayer 00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:27.040 and that this is who they are. 00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:32.040 And then what we see later on in Paul's letters, what we've already seen in Colossians, what 00:18:32.040 --> 00:18:37.400 we'll see in Romans, and what we'll see in Ephesians is three times Paul comes back and 00:18:37.400 --> 00:18:41.140 has to remind them to be devoted in prayer. 00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:44.280 So we see they're slipping from it. 00:18:44.280 --> 00:18:50.080 And so Paul steps in and says, listen, if your effectiveness of what God is going to do 00:18:50.080 --> 00:18:56.620 with you in the gospel has to be rooted, has to be central, and has to be grounded in prayer. 00:18:57.740 --> 00:18:59.160 And so be devoted. 00:19:00.320 --> 00:19:09.720 I love the imagery of what he gives, and it carries within the idea of being strong, of growing in strength, of working out. 00:19:10.780 --> 00:19:15.240 Be strong, a progressive, continuing building of your life in prayer. 00:19:15.520 --> 00:19:24.500 It's why I said to you, if you're a prayer warrior in here this morning, thank you, thank you, thank you for using the gift of what God has given you and continuing on in that. 00:19:24.500 --> 00:19:32.960 But don't think that you'll arrive, because what you need to do is continue to build and work on it and stick to so that God can strengthen you even more. 00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:37.660 And so as Paul describes prayer, he says, like, let it be like an exercise. 00:19:38.420 --> 00:19:41.560 Set a time, set a commitment, and stick to it. 00:19:41.940 --> 00:19:45.600 As you pray and as you battle through it, like, let it be tough. 00:19:46.820 --> 00:19:53.160 Move away from the simple two or three phrases that we've memorized and try to dig down into it. 00:19:53.780 --> 00:19:57.080 But then also, if you think about this with exercise, like, track your growth. 00:19:57.460 --> 00:19:58.840 Here's where I was before. 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:00.520 Here's where I am now. 00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:02.000 And here's where I hope to be. 00:20:02.120 --> 00:20:07.740 Not of what we're accomplishing within ourselves, but what God is doing with us. 00:20:08.220 --> 00:20:10.920 Devote yourself to prayer. 00:20:12.040 --> 00:20:13.960 Make it a part of who you are. 00:20:14.700 --> 00:20:16.580 Make it a part of your schedule. 00:20:17.080 --> 00:20:18.860 Make it a part of your routine. 00:20:19.260 --> 00:20:22.440 Continue steadfastly in prayer. 00:20:24.440 --> 00:20:31.560 So the question comes, when we look at Scripture, so does the Bible say, devote yourself to prayer? 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:39.040 Does the Bible say, schedule it and have it be at this time and work in this and set this as a discipline of your life? 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:41.420 Or does the Bible say, pray without ceasing? 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:43.600 And which one is it? 00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:44.940 And I would say, both. 00:20:46.020 --> 00:20:46.420 Both. 00:20:47.460 --> 00:20:49.240 Set the time, pray without ceasing. 00:20:49.540 --> 00:20:51.180 Set the time, pray without ceasing. 00:20:51.180 --> 00:20:55.280 Let prayer be the discipline, but also let it be the pattern and the rhythm of your life. 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:59.220 I read a pastor this week who described it this way. 00:21:00.500 --> 00:21:06.460 He says, continual fellowship with God will grow from praying without ceasing. 00:21:07.140 --> 00:21:14.640 But depth of intimacy will come from devotion and endurance of prayer over time. 00:21:15.760 --> 00:21:17.880 So this pastor says they're both fruitful. 00:21:18.620 --> 00:21:24.340 One of them, the prayer without ceasing, the continual conversation that we'll look at in a couple weeks, 00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:29.420 that this will come in the prayer without ceasing, the continual relationship with God. 00:21:29.580 --> 00:21:31.080 That's where the fellowship will come from. 00:21:31.280 --> 00:21:35.720 But if you want to see what it looks like to dive down into deep layers of devotion, 00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:40.560 deep layers of intimacy, deep layers of endurance over time, 00:21:41.140 --> 00:21:42.900 it comes from devotion to prayer. 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:44.280 So it's both. 00:21:45.280 --> 00:21:48.320 So this morning, we want to say, let's devote ourselves. 00:21:49.120 --> 00:21:49.900 Let's devote ourselves. 00:21:50.680 --> 00:21:55.040 It's been the heart of us setting this five-week plan for us. 00:21:55.740 --> 00:22:01.160 That within us, within our lives, what we can build is a rhythm. 00:22:01.780 --> 00:22:04.220 What we can build is a discipline. 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:09.760 What we can build is an endurance that it's part of who we are. 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:17.120 I'd be willing to bet if you stop and you look at your last week. 00:22:18.540 --> 00:22:21.220 If you stop and you look at your yesterday. 00:22:22.080 --> 00:22:24.880 If you stop and look at where this week is going. 00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:30.780 That you can't tell me, because I've had to do the same thing within myself. 00:22:31.660 --> 00:22:36.560 That you can't tell me within the 168 hours during the week that God has blessed you with, 00:22:36.760 --> 00:22:37.660 you can't find one. 00:22:38.800 --> 00:22:39.640 You can't find one. 00:22:41.260 --> 00:22:42.160 But, Bo, I'm busy. 00:22:42.220 --> 00:22:42.520 I know. 00:22:43.400 --> 00:22:43.840 I know. 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:46.020 But, Bo, I'm tired. 00:22:46.120 --> 00:22:46.440 I know. 00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:47.580 I know. 00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:50.020 But, Bo, you mean to tell me? 00:22:50.020 --> 00:22:50.220 Yeah. 00:22:51.260 --> 00:22:53.580 Go find the one. 00:22:54.340 --> 00:22:56.420 Wear God out. 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:58.660 Be devoted to prayer. 00:22:59.500 --> 00:23:03.620 The second thing that we see from prayer in this is a call to alertness. 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:07.080 Paul says, be watchful in it. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:10.300 Literally, Paul says, like, stay awake. 00:23:11.360 --> 00:23:12.160 Be aware. 00:23:13.100 --> 00:23:16.880 And he gives the imagery like a guard on a tower. 00:23:17.020 --> 00:23:19.240 I got to think, what makes a good watch guard? 00:23:20.040 --> 00:23:22.640 I don't really care about your physical condition. 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:27.100 I don't really care about your mathematical abilities. 00:23:27.980 --> 00:23:32.300 What I want in a good watchman is your eyes to stay awake. 00:23:32.740 --> 00:23:38.580 For your eyes to be open so that you can look and see that you can be watchful within this. 00:23:38.580 --> 00:23:46.560 And this is what Paul says, that in prayer, that there's this call to alertness for you and I, that we are watchful in it. 00:23:47.200 --> 00:24:00.380 What we're going to see and what we'll journey through is that our willingness to dive into the depth of prayer will show our spiritual awareness of where we are and our growth in the Lord. 00:24:00.560 --> 00:24:11.220 And as we dive in, as we're committed to prayer, what God is going to do are those areas of our heart that he sees that we may either be blind to or have ignored. 00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:15.600 God's going to open our eyes more and more to see the sin that is in our life. 00:24:15.840 --> 00:24:19.640 And God's going to open our eyes more and more to his will for our life. 00:24:19.740 --> 00:24:23.020 And you and I can be alert for what God has for us. 00:24:23.240 --> 00:24:27.340 And this has been a concept that Jesus is established with his disciples. 00:24:27.340 --> 00:24:31.760 In Matthew chapter 26, Jesus goes to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. 00:24:32.120 --> 00:24:39.560 This is the garden where Judas would betray him, where Jesus would be arrested, where Peter would seek to attack. 00:24:39.760 --> 00:24:42.740 And Jesus goes in in Matthew 26 into the garden. 00:24:43.080 --> 00:24:52.460 He brings his disciples with him into the garden, leaves most of them behind, but takes into the depth of the garden, Peter, James, and John. 00:24:52.460 --> 00:24:56.060 And Jesus gives these three some instructions. 00:24:56.840 --> 00:25:02.080 He looks at him and says, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. 00:25:03.380 --> 00:25:07.360 Remain here, and I love these words, and watch with me. 00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:09.500 And watch with me. 00:25:10.420 --> 00:25:11.900 Notice that he doesn't say pray with me. 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:13.560 He says watch with me. 00:25:14.040 --> 00:25:17.340 I'm going to go and I'm going to pray that I'm weary. 00:25:17.660 --> 00:25:18.960 Here's what I need you to do. 00:25:19.100 --> 00:25:20.340 I need you to be watchful. 00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:22.360 I need you to be watchful. 00:25:22.940 --> 00:25:25.860 And so he goes, the Bible tells us, a little farther. 00:25:26.700 --> 00:25:27.800 He fell on his face. 00:25:28.800 --> 00:25:36.520 And he began to pray, Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, not as I will, but as you will. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:41.780 And then he comes back, and he finds them sleeping. 00:25:43.060 --> 00:25:44.220 And he finds them sleeping. 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:49.320 And he said to Peter, and I love these words in church. 00:25:49.400 --> 00:25:52.160 This is where the Lord brought me to for our hour. 00:25:53.520 --> 00:25:56.040 He says, you couldn't watch with me for one hour. 00:25:57.160 --> 00:25:58.420 You couldn't watch for one. 00:25:59.960 --> 00:26:04.600 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. 00:26:06.120 --> 00:26:11.000 Years later, Peter is writing 1 Peter, and in chapter 5, he pens these words. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:19.320 Be watchful because the devil prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour. 00:26:20.020 --> 00:26:29.440 May we not miss the connection between the strength and the dedication and the devoted nature of our prayer to God 00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:33.980 and overcoming the sin that Satan seeks to attack us with. 00:26:35.300 --> 00:26:39.840 And for so many of us, we wonder why we can't get out of the spiritual rut. 00:26:40.360 --> 00:26:46.420 Some of us wonder why we can't break the pattern of sin that we feel like we're enslaved to. 00:26:46.660 --> 00:26:51.800 And the question I have for you is this, have we stopped all the self-help things we can figure out 00:26:51.800 --> 00:27:00.100 and gotten on our knees broken and humbled and devoted and dedicated before the Lord? 00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:04.340 And could that be our posture of where we are? 00:27:04.940 --> 00:27:10.180 Could that be who we are in this watchful of everything that is going on around us, 00:27:10.380 --> 00:27:14.300 everything that is in our heart, and our dedication before God? 00:27:15.300 --> 00:27:16.600 And so we continue on. 00:27:17.180 --> 00:27:22.420 So could we become more devoted in prayer over these next five weeks, 00:27:22.540 --> 00:27:27.240 but could we also become more watchful of our own lives? 00:27:28.060 --> 00:27:34.940 Could we become more watchful of those around us as what we're seeking to do is to grow in obedience, 00:27:35.300 --> 00:27:37.700 as we're seeking to grow in application? 00:27:38.020 --> 00:27:42.500 Like, I'm not taking this journey of prayer so at the end of it we can say, 00:27:42.700 --> 00:27:43.940 well, look at what we did. 00:27:44.140 --> 00:27:45.280 Look at what we've done. 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:48.280 168 of us walking through this journey. 00:27:48.560 --> 00:27:51.960 My hope and my goal in this is that at the end of the five weeks, 00:27:52.060 --> 00:27:55.900 what we're seeing is more daddies and husbands who love the Lord 00:27:55.900 --> 00:27:59.660 and who sacrificially provide and live and lead their families. 00:27:59.660 --> 00:28:04.820 What I'm praying for and hoping for is more mamas and wives who are coming alongside 00:28:04.820 --> 00:28:08.120 and being the support system that is needed within the home. 00:28:08.360 --> 00:28:11.940 What I'm hoping for is more children who are coming to know the Lord, 00:28:12.060 --> 00:28:14.020 more neighbors who are coming to know the Lord. 00:28:14.220 --> 00:28:17.600 What I'm hoping to see is more obedience within the body of Christ 00:28:17.600 --> 00:28:21.320 so that we're saying, no, God, I'm watchful, I'm dedicated. 00:28:21.540 --> 00:28:23.400 God, where are you taking me? 00:28:25.480 --> 00:28:31.740 Where's the journey that I need to go on so we can become devoted and watchful? 00:28:33.020 --> 00:28:35.900 But then lastly, we'll look at these, kind of a two-part. 00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:38.060 We see the heart of prayer. 00:28:39.360 --> 00:28:43.580 And I love what Paul gives here in Colossians 4. 00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:50.640 He gives them the challenge, continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it. 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:54.540 And then he says this, with thanksgiving, with thanksgiving, 00:28:55.280 --> 00:28:59.240 that may our prayers be marked by being thankful. 00:29:00.260 --> 00:29:03.120 Do this with thanksgiving, Paul tells us. 00:29:03.300 --> 00:29:04.700 Now, here's what I want to lay out. 00:29:06.140 --> 00:29:07.520 Here's what I know, times are tough. 00:29:08.900 --> 00:29:09.540 Times are tough. 00:29:11.060 --> 00:29:15.380 The reality is, this world is broken. 00:29:16.480 --> 00:29:19.480 And it's just not going to get better until Jesus returns, okay? 00:29:20.740 --> 00:29:21.880 Let's admit that. 00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:26.220 Let's understand that the brokenness that is around us 00:29:26.220 --> 00:29:29.160 has been the brokenness that's been around us. 00:29:29.160 --> 00:29:31.540 And it's not getting better until Jesus returns. 00:29:31.820 --> 00:29:34.000 And this isn't me declaring this. 00:29:34.220 --> 00:29:36.060 This isn't me as a pessimist. 00:29:36.260 --> 00:29:37.440 This is what God's Word says. 00:29:37.720 --> 00:29:42.880 Romans 8, 22 tells us that creation groans in the pains of childbirth, 00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:45.060 anticipating the return of Christ. 00:29:45.300 --> 00:29:47.720 Even creation is like, now this is broken. 00:29:47.960 --> 00:29:51.560 And it's not getting better until Jesus returns. 00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:56.640 And so you have gone through, you are going through, 00:29:56.940 --> 00:29:59.800 or you will go through suffering, 00:30:00.040 --> 00:30:04.760 and a relationship with Jesus doesn't spare you from that. 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:06.900 And no one knows that better than Paul. 00:30:08.360 --> 00:30:09.720 Where does Paul write this? 00:30:11.320 --> 00:30:14.060 He tells us in verse 3. 00:30:15.280 --> 00:30:17.060 He writes this from prison. 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:19.000 From prison. 00:30:21.160 --> 00:30:25.820 Paul would be executed for his faith. 00:30:27.060 --> 00:30:31.280 And Paul says, be thankful. 00:30:32.280 --> 00:30:35.200 So we can pause, we can break, 00:30:35.280 --> 00:30:38.460 we can look at all of the things that are going on in your lives. 00:30:38.600 --> 00:30:40.560 And some of you right now, I'm telling you, 00:30:40.600 --> 00:30:41.840 because I know your stories, 00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:45.280 you're in the thick of it more so than anyone else 00:30:45.280 --> 00:30:47.780 that I've seen in my entire time in ministry. 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:50.760 You're battling things that are bigger than you. 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:53.460 You're battling things that are more than you can carry, 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:55.080 more than you can bear. 00:30:55.280 --> 00:30:58.240 Some of you have come out of seasons recently. 00:30:58.540 --> 00:30:59.380 And I just want to go ahead and say, 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:01.080 because I know this is how this world works, 00:31:01.320 --> 00:31:03.580 some of you are getting ready to walk through it, 00:31:03.640 --> 00:31:06.500 and you have no clue what's on the other side of the door. 00:31:07.760 --> 00:31:11.400 And Paul says, in spite of where you find yourself, 00:31:11.640 --> 00:31:14.900 been through it, am in it, or going through it, 00:31:16.100 --> 00:31:17.100 pray with thanksgiving. 00:31:18.220 --> 00:31:19.140 Pray with thanksgiving. 00:31:19.240 --> 00:31:20.060 So what are we thankful for? 00:31:21.300 --> 00:31:22.280 What are we thankful for? 00:31:23.320 --> 00:31:25.260 We can talk about our situations, they change. 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:29.360 But what are the things in your life and in my life 00:31:29.360 --> 00:31:31.620 that were found in Christ that don't change? 00:31:31.800 --> 00:31:33.920 What can you and I be thankful for? 00:31:34.120 --> 00:31:35.960 Number one, we can be thankful for God himself. 00:31:37.180 --> 00:31:38.120 He who never changes. 00:31:39.140 --> 00:31:41.860 He who spoke this world into creation. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:44.740 He who spoke life and brought it, 00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:47.180 the Alpha Omega, God himself. 00:31:48.540 --> 00:31:49.700 You can simply be thankful for him. 00:31:50.860 --> 00:31:53.340 We can be thankful in spite of our circumstances 00:31:53.340 --> 00:31:54.920 for God's gift of salvation 00:31:54.920 --> 00:31:58.340 that is not dependent on your situation or mine. 00:31:59.480 --> 00:32:01.960 We can be thankful for God's eternal love 00:32:01.960 --> 00:32:05.020 that God has loved us, does love us, 00:32:05.080 --> 00:32:07.220 and will always love us. 00:32:09.080 --> 00:32:14.000 We can be thankful for God's presence in our lives. 00:32:15.380 --> 00:32:16.600 Here's what I know. 00:32:17.320 --> 00:32:18.700 Here's what I've walked in, 00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:20.660 what I'm walking through, 00:32:21.180 --> 00:32:23.360 and I pray that God will give me the faith 00:32:23.360 --> 00:32:25.360 in the future to continue to walk through it. 00:32:26.020 --> 00:32:28.180 That regardless of where you find yourself, 00:32:28.260 --> 00:32:29.140 God is with you. 00:32:30.180 --> 00:32:31.420 And you are not alone. 00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:35.340 And that God's presence is in your life. 00:32:37.160 --> 00:32:38.040 And the fifth thing, 00:32:39.320 --> 00:32:40.760 God's provision and God's help. 00:32:41.860 --> 00:32:42.540 He's there. 00:32:43.580 --> 00:32:44.700 He's there for you. 00:32:45.500 --> 00:32:46.460 He's there with you. 00:32:47.480 --> 00:32:48.940 And then lastly, God's sanctification. 00:32:50.140 --> 00:32:51.480 God's growing you through it. 00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:53.480 He's growing you through it. 00:32:54.180 --> 00:32:56.360 That every bit of life 00:32:56.360 --> 00:32:58.820 that you feel like is breaking you 00:32:58.820 --> 00:33:01.020 in the power of God, 00:33:01.100 --> 00:33:02.460 in God alone, 00:33:02.660 --> 00:33:04.340 when we are found in Him, 00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:06.200 He is strengthening us. 00:33:07.860 --> 00:33:09.100 And the last thing that we see, 00:33:10.060 --> 00:33:10.880 right here from Paul, 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:13.700 is prayer needs to be gospel-focused. 00:33:14.560 --> 00:33:15.420 Verse three and four. 00:33:15.420 --> 00:33:19.240 At the same time, pray also for us 00:33:19.240 --> 00:33:22.240 that God may open to us 00:33:22.240 --> 00:33:24.180 a door for the word 00:33:24.180 --> 00:33:26.980 to declare the mystery of Christ 00:33:26.980 --> 00:33:30.180 on account of which I am in prison. 00:33:31.080 --> 00:33:31.880 Love verse four. 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:34.540 That I may make it clear 00:33:34.540 --> 00:33:37.740 which is how I ought to speak. 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:40.280 Notice what Paul says here. 00:33:42.040 --> 00:33:43.200 Paul doesn't say, 00:33:43.200 --> 00:33:45.020 oh, and when you're done with all this, 00:33:45.260 --> 00:33:47.340 like, pray that I'm out. 00:33:48.600 --> 00:33:50.040 Pray that something happens 00:33:50.040 --> 00:33:51.620 and I get out of here. 00:33:52.920 --> 00:33:54.540 Paul says, nope, nope. 00:33:55.660 --> 00:33:59.040 Pray that God may open to us 00:33:59.040 --> 00:34:02.080 a door for the word 00:34:02.080 --> 00:34:04.880 to declare the mystery of Christ 00:34:04.880 --> 00:34:06.400 on which I am in prison. 00:34:06.600 --> 00:34:09.300 Here's the way that Paul viewed suffering. 00:34:10.580 --> 00:34:12.800 Here's the way that Paul viewed prison. 00:34:14.200 --> 00:34:15.780 Here's the way that Paul would tell you 00:34:15.780 --> 00:34:16.620 to view sickness, 00:34:17.660 --> 00:34:18.800 that Paul would tell you 00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:21.940 to view the suffering 00:34:21.940 --> 00:34:22.860 that you're going through, 00:34:24.080 --> 00:34:25.720 the gossip and the slander 00:34:25.720 --> 00:34:26.760 that surrounds you, 00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:30.120 the world that tries to tear you apart 00:34:30.120 --> 00:34:31.040 and beat you down, 00:34:32.040 --> 00:34:33.580 the world that creates things 00:34:33.580 --> 00:34:34.960 in your life which are unfair, 00:34:35.080 --> 00:34:36.340 which you did not ask for. 00:34:37.340 --> 00:34:38.460 Paul would say, 00:34:39.160 --> 00:34:41.120 use it as an opportunity 00:34:41.120 --> 00:34:42.440 to share the gospel. 00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:43.880 That's it. 00:34:44.820 --> 00:34:45.260 That's it. 00:34:47.660 --> 00:34:48.500 And so for me, 00:34:49.460 --> 00:34:50.060 church, 00:34:51.620 --> 00:34:52.780 are our prayers 00:34:52.780 --> 00:34:55.500 the gospel focused? 00:34:56.460 --> 00:34:57.460 I get it. 00:34:57.960 --> 00:34:59.640 That person that you're married to 00:34:59.640 --> 00:35:00.140 is awful. 00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:01.340 All right? 00:35:02.340 --> 00:35:03.080 I get it. 00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:04.040 I get it. 00:35:04.980 --> 00:35:06.700 Maybe God has you there 00:35:06.700 --> 00:35:08.320 to share the gospel. 00:35:09.220 --> 00:35:10.520 I get it that person 00:35:10.520 --> 00:35:11.880 that you work for 00:35:11.880 --> 00:35:13.620 is terrible to you 00:35:13.620 --> 00:35:15.060 and they won't listen to you. 00:35:15.980 --> 00:35:17.300 Maybe God has you there 00:35:17.300 --> 00:35:18.660 to share the gospel. 00:35:19.480 --> 00:35:21.360 I get it that you're sick 00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:24.340 and that the prognosis isn't good. 00:35:26.340 --> 00:35:28.400 But maybe God has in that moment 00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:30.120 for you a time 00:35:30.120 --> 00:35:31.860 to make much of him 00:35:31.860 --> 00:35:33.620 and the hope of life 00:35:33.620 --> 00:35:34.420 that you have 00:35:34.420 --> 00:35:36.020 that is beyond this earth. 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:37.620 I get it. 00:35:38.320 --> 00:35:39.120 I get it. 00:35:39.720 --> 00:35:41.400 It's not what we would have asked for. 00:35:42.020 --> 00:35:43.360 It's not what we have chosen. 00:35:44.080 --> 00:35:45.680 It's where we find ourselves. 00:35:46.640 --> 00:35:47.380 And Paul says, 00:35:47.540 --> 00:35:48.060 in that, 00:35:48.680 --> 00:35:49.540 make much of him. 00:35:50.860 --> 00:35:52.100 We're going to close now 00:35:52.100 --> 00:35:52.860 in a time of prayer 00:35:52.860 --> 00:35:53.560 and I want to 00:35:53.560 --> 00:35:55.140 take some 00:35:55.140 --> 00:35:56.420 liberty 00:35:56.420 --> 00:35:59.660 and ask a request 00:35:59.660 --> 00:36:00.340 from you guys. 00:36:01.820 --> 00:36:03.180 If you are capable 00:36:03.180 --> 00:36:04.380 and you are able to, 00:36:05.460 --> 00:36:06.200 in just a moment, 00:36:06.280 --> 00:36:06.860 I'm going to ask 00:36:06.860 --> 00:36:07.900 if we could get on our knees 00:36:07.900 --> 00:36:08.760 and pray before the Lord. 00:36:09.780 --> 00:36:10.620 If you can't, 00:36:10.640 --> 00:36:11.180 that's fine. 00:36:11.240 --> 00:36:11.880 I understand. 00:36:13.220 --> 00:36:13.540 Ladies, 00:36:13.640 --> 00:36:13.920 you're like, 00:36:13.980 --> 00:36:14.100 man, 00:36:14.120 --> 00:36:14.860 I wish you had told me this 00:36:14.860 --> 00:36:15.620 before I wore this skirt. 00:36:15.720 --> 00:36:15.820 Like, 00:36:15.840 --> 00:36:16.560 I get it, right? 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:17.220 You're like, 00:36:17.240 --> 00:36:17.340 man, 00:36:17.360 --> 00:36:18.260 my knees are bad. 00:36:18.360 --> 00:36:18.820 I can't, 00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:19.520 I get it. 00:36:19.580 --> 00:36:19.980 I get it. 00:36:20.020 --> 00:36:20.480 I get it. 00:36:20.640 --> 00:36:21.460 But the Lord laid this 00:36:21.460 --> 00:36:22.380 on my heart this morning 00:36:22.380 --> 00:36:23.540 that I want us to take a time 00:36:23.540 --> 00:36:24.080 if we can 00:36:24.080 --> 00:36:25.060 to get on our knees 00:36:25.060 --> 00:36:25.540 before him 00:36:25.540 --> 00:36:26.160 in just a moment. 00:36:26.940 --> 00:36:27.740 And we're just going to 00:36:27.740 --> 00:36:28.800 spend some time in prayer. 00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:30.680 We always pray 00:36:30.680 --> 00:36:32.240 as we wrap up a message 00:36:32.240 --> 00:36:33.480 and I feel like 00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:34.460 often times 00:36:34.460 --> 00:36:36.080 that you sit there 00:36:36.080 --> 00:36:36.940 just like I've done 00:36:36.940 --> 00:36:37.680 so many times 00:36:37.680 --> 00:36:38.420 as I've sat out 00:36:38.420 --> 00:36:39.860 in a congregation before. 00:36:40.920 --> 00:36:41.920 And I'm sitting there 00:36:41.920 --> 00:36:42.700 and I'm listening to 00:36:42.700 --> 00:36:44.260 the person who's on stage 00:36:44.260 --> 00:36:45.260 who's praying. 00:36:45.960 --> 00:36:47.620 I'm amening in my heart 00:36:47.620 --> 00:36:48.900 as he or she 00:36:48.900 --> 00:36:49.640 lifts up 00:36:49.640 --> 00:36:50.380 or says something. 00:36:51.200 --> 00:36:52.140 But as I pray, 00:36:52.280 --> 00:36:53.880 I want to just challenge you. 00:36:54.580 --> 00:36:55.560 Just challenge you. 00:36:56.860 --> 00:36:57.940 So maybe my words 00:36:57.940 --> 00:36:58.600 aren't the words 00:36:58.600 --> 00:36:59.100 of your prayer 00:36:59.100 --> 00:36:59.720 that you need to have 00:36:59.720 --> 00:37:00.140 this morning. 00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:01.920 Maybe what you need to do 00:37:01.920 --> 00:37:02.720 as we go into this time 00:37:02.720 --> 00:37:03.120 of prayer 00:37:03.120 --> 00:37:04.700 is beginning to cry out 00:37:04.700 --> 00:37:05.780 to God yourself. 00:37:06.720 --> 00:37:08.240 Begin to take this step 00:37:08.240 --> 00:37:09.620 of being devoted 00:37:09.620 --> 00:37:11.020 to him in prayer. 00:37:11.900 --> 00:37:13.040 To being watchful 00:37:13.040 --> 00:37:13.920 of the things 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:14.600 in the world 00:37:14.600 --> 00:37:15.600 around you. 00:37:16.360 --> 00:37:17.240 To be thankful 00:37:17.240 --> 00:37:18.280 for who he is, 00:37:18.340 --> 00:37:19.060 for what he's done 00:37:19.060 --> 00:37:19.900 and what he plans 00:37:19.900 --> 00:37:20.400 to do 00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:21.460 in your life. 00:37:22.560 --> 00:37:23.340 And then to see 00:37:23.340 --> 00:37:24.320 how every area 00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:25.560 and every aspect 00:37:25.560 --> 00:37:26.300 in our lives 00:37:26.300 --> 00:37:27.200 can be focused 00:37:27.200 --> 00:37:27.900 on the gospel. 00:37:29.160 --> 00:37:29.880 And so if you can, 00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:31.580 would you get on your knees 00:37:31.580 --> 00:37:33.100 and join me 00:37:33.100 --> 00:37:33.920 in this time of prayer. 00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:52.940 Lord, I come to you 00:37:52.940 --> 00:37:53.480 this morning 00:37:53.480 --> 00:37:55.800 and so grateful, 00:37:56.020 --> 00:37:56.840 Lord, for who you are. 00:37:58.440 --> 00:37:59.440 Lord, I thank you 00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:01.460 that you love us. 00:38:02.580 --> 00:38:04.060 That you give us salvation. 00:38:05.900 --> 00:38:06.780 God, that you sent 00:38:06.780 --> 00:38:07.640 your son Jesus 00:38:07.640 --> 00:38:09.640 to die on the cross. 00:38:11.600 --> 00:38:12.440 Lord, I thank you 00:38:12.440 --> 00:38:13.400 that the tomb is empty. 00:38:15.260 --> 00:38:16.200 Lord, I thank you 00:38:16.200 --> 00:38:17.940 that you give us life 00:38:17.940 --> 00:38:19.400 and hope. 00:38:21.420 --> 00:38:22.240 Lord, I thank you 00:38:22.240 --> 00:38:23.560 that our eternity 00:38:23.560 --> 00:38:25.620 has been decided 00:38:25.620 --> 00:38:26.200 in you 00:38:26.200 --> 00:38:27.860 and in you alone. 00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:30.740 Lord, I come this morning 00:38:30.740 --> 00:38:31.100 just 00:38:31.100 --> 00:38:33.640 in a heart of repentance 00:38:33.640 --> 00:38:34.400 for my sin, 00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:36.860 for my shortcomings, 00:38:37.020 --> 00:38:38.060 for my failures. 00:38:39.680 --> 00:38:40.680 Lord, I repent 00:38:40.680 --> 00:38:42.220 of my pride, 00:38:43.360 --> 00:38:44.620 my arrogance, 00:38:45.400 --> 00:38:46.760 of my greed, 00:38:46.900 --> 00:38:47.660 of my lust. 00:38:50.820 --> 00:38:51.800 Lord, I pray 00:38:51.800 --> 00:38:53.160 and thank you 00:38:53.160 --> 00:38:53.740 that you 00:38:53.740 --> 00:38:55.380 pour out your grace 00:38:55.380 --> 00:38:56.040 on me. 00:38:59.100 --> 00:38:59.960 Lord, I come to you 00:38:59.960 --> 00:39:00.480 this morning 00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:02.100 and I pray 00:39:02.100 --> 00:39:02.640 for those 00:39:02.640 --> 00:39:03.260 who are here, 00:39:05.320 --> 00:39:05.880 the kids 00:39:05.880 --> 00:39:06.440 who are in our next 00:39:06.440 --> 00:39:06.820 building 00:39:06.820 --> 00:39:08.020 who do not know you. 00:39:10.160 --> 00:39:11.000 Lord, I pray 00:39:11.000 --> 00:39:12.220 through my words 00:39:12.220 --> 00:39:13.020 that are just not, 00:39:13.120 --> 00:39:13.980 they're not perfect, 00:39:14.200 --> 00:39:14.340 Lord, 00:39:14.460 --> 00:39:14.900 but through 00:39:14.900 --> 00:39:16.400 your drawing 00:39:16.400 --> 00:39:17.200 that is 00:39:17.200 --> 00:39:19.240 Lord, 00:39:19.300 --> 00:39:19.800 that today 00:39:19.800 --> 00:39:20.540 they could find 00:39:20.540 --> 00:39:21.000 hope 00:39:21.000 --> 00:39:23.380 in life, 00:39:24.860 --> 00:39:25.680 in Christ 00:39:25.680 --> 00:39:26.720 and in Christ alone. 00:39:28.400 --> 00:39:29.140 Lord, I pray 00:39:29.140 --> 00:39:30.080 for our students 00:39:30.080 --> 00:39:30.680 in Utah 00:39:30.680 --> 00:39:32.900 and our adults 00:39:32.900 --> 00:39:33.720 who are with them. 00:39:35.420 --> 00:39:36.600 Lord, may our adults 00:39:36.600 --> 00:39:37.660 model for them 00:39:37.660 --> 00:39:38.880 what needs to be done 00:39:38.880 --> 00:39:40.220 and release these students 00:39:40.220 --> 00:39:41.980 to share the love 00:39:41.980 --> 00:39:42.700 of Christ 00:39:42.700 --> 00:39:43.260 and the hope 00:39:43.260 --> 00:39:43.940 of Christ. 00:39:44.740 --> 00:39:45.920 Lord, for these families 00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:46.800 that they'll interact 00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:47.420 with, Lord, 00:39:47.460 --> 00:39:48.360 I pray that they'll 00:39:48.360 --> 00:39:49.360 be willing 00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:50.580 to come 00:39:50.580 --> 00:39:51.300 to the church, 00:39:51.460 --> 00:39:51.660 Lord, 00:39:51.740 --> 00:39:52.800 to hear the gospel 00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:53.640 and to respond. 00:39:53.800 --> 00:39:54.240 Lord, I pray 00:39:54.240 --> 00:39:54.920 for those 00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:56.300 who have bought in 00:39:56.300 --> 00:39:56.960 and accepted 00:39:56.960 --> 00:39:57.540 the love 00:39:57.540 --> 00:39:58.300 of Mormonism, 00:39:58.480 --> 00:39:58.640 Lord, 00:39:58.740 --> 00:39:59.620 those who have 00:39:59.620 --> 00:40:00.780 accepted the love 00:40:00.780 --> 00:40:02.020 of an intellectual 00:40:02.020 --> 00:40:03.100 system within 00:40:03.100 --> 00:40:04.160 their own lives 00:40:04.160 --> 00:40:04.500 and Lord, 00:40:04.540 --> 00:40:05.020 that they could 00:40:05.020 --> 00:40:06.440 cry out to you 00:40:06.440 --> 00:40:06.820 and Lord, 00:40:06.920 --> 00:40:07.900 find hope 00:40:07.900 --> 00:40:09.000 through you 00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:09.640 and you alone. 00:40:11.020 --> 00:40:11.620 Lord, I pray 00:40:11.620 --> 00:40:12.440 for the situation 00:40:12.440 --> 00:40:13.300 in Haiti. 00:40:14.380 --> 00:40:15.200 I pray for all 00:40:15.200 --> 00:40:16.160 the turmoil 00:40:16.160 --> 00:40:17.000 and strife 00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:17.720 that is there. 00:40:18.780 --> 00:40:19.380 There's no more 00:40:19.380 --> 00:40:20.160 evidence of the 00:40:20.160 --> 00:40:20.740 brokenness 00:40:20.740 --> 00:40:21.480 that sin brings 00:40:21.480 --> 00:40:22.300 into this world 00:40:22.300 --> 00:40:23.440 than a lot 00:40:23.440 --> 00:40:24.020 of the events 00:40:24.020 --> 00:40:24.500 that are playing 00:40:24.500 --> 00:40:24.980 out there. 00:40:26.200 --> 00:40:26.800 Lord, I pray 00:40:26.800 --> 00:40:28.040 for Bill 00:40:28.040 --> 00:40:29.700 and for the team 00:40:29.700 --> 00:40:30.420 that's there 00:40:30.420 --> 00:40:33.160 or that have 00:40:33.160 --> 00:40:34.440 given so much 00:40:34.440 --> 00:40:36.200 to invest 00:40:36.200 --> 00:40:37.060 in these villages 00:40:37.060 --> 00:40:39.640 or to share 00:40:39.640 --> 00:40:40.340 the gospel. 00:40:41.740 --> 00:40:42.640 Lord, and I pray 00:40:42.640 --> 00:40:43.360 that even though 00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:44.120 so many of the 00:40:44.120 --> 00:40:44.660 missionaries 00:40:44.660 --> 00:40:45.540 have had to leave 00:40:45.540 --> 00:40:46.700 or that the 00:40:46.700 --> 00:40:47.300 groundwork 00:40:47.300 --> 00:40:48.220 that's been laid 00:40:48.220 --> 00:40:48.800 in the hope 00:40:48.800 --> 00:40:49.380 of the gospel 00:40:49.380 --> 00:40:50.140 will be shared. 00:40:51.640 --> 00:40:52.280 Lord, I pray 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:52.700 for the whole 00:40:52.700 --> 00:40:53.700 country of India 00:40:53.700 --> 00:40:55.360 where this 00:40:55.360 --> 00:40:56.120 morning, Lord, 00:40:56.220 --> 00:40:57.380 in spite of 00:40:57.380 --> 00:40:59.180 the promise 00:40:59.180 --> 00:41:00.140 of death, 00:41:01.380 --> 00:41:02.140 imprisonment 00:41:02.140 --> 00:41:03.420 for those 00:41:03.420 --> 00:41:03.900 who gather 00:41:03.900 --> 00:41:04.460 in churches, 00:41:04.640 --> 00:41:05.080 Lord, I pray 00:41:05.080 --> 00:41:05.700 that men and 00:41:05.700 --> 00:41:06.220 women and children 00:41:06.220 --> 00:41:06.760 will gather 00:41:06.760 --> 00:41:07.580 anyway because 00:41:07.580 --> 00:41:08.040 they know 00:41:08.040 --> 00:41:08.700 that their life 00:41:08.700 --> 00:41:09.480 is not defined 00:41:09.480 --> 00:41:10.540 by this world 00:41:10.540 --> 00:41:11.180 but by you. 00:41:12.940 --> 00:41:13.480 Lord, I pray 00:41:13.480 --> 00:41:14.080 for Daryl 00:41:14.080 --> 00:41:14.580 and the work 00:41:14.580 --> 00:41:15.200 that's going on 00:41:15.200 --> 00:41:15.940 in the Philippines 00:41:15.940 --> 00:41:18.260 where so many 00:41:18.260 --> 00:41:19.740 have been hindered 00:41:19.740 --> 00:41:21.540 because of poverty, 00:41:22.280 --> 00:41:23.660 and Lord, 00:41:23.780 --> 00:41:24.780 through the gospel 00:41:24.780 --> 00:41:26.420 and Lord, 00:41:26.480 --> 00:41:27.380 through the ministries 00:41:27.380 --> 00:41:28.280 that they have 00:41:28.280 --> 00:41:30.540 that these villages 00:41:30.540 --> 00:41:31.580 are given an 00:41:31.580 --> 00:41:32.440 opportunity, Lord, 00:41:32.500 --> 00:41:33.280 to have a meal 00:41:33.280 --> 00:41:34.380 and to be encouraged 00:41:34.380 --> 00:41:35.160 and be blessed 00:41:35.160 --> 00:41:36.080 and to hear the gospel 00:41:36.080 --> 00:41:37.620 and respond to it. 00:41:39.440 --> 00:41:39.920 Lord, I pray 00:41:39.920 --> 00:41:40.660 for Rick and Tina 00:41:40.660 --> 00:41:41.280 in Greece. 00:41:43.100 --> 00:41:43.540 Lord, 00:41:43.720 --> 00:41:44.720 come out of a country 00:41:44.720 --> 00:41:45.640 that COVID 00:41:45.640 --> 00:41:47.440 continually shuts down 00:41:47.440 --> 00:41:49.520 but Lord, 00:41:49.640 --> 00:41:50.140 in the midst 00:41:50.140 --> 00:41:51.260 of COVID 00:41:51.260 --> 00:41:52.420 shutting something down, 00:41:52.580 --> 00:41:52.720 Lord, 00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:53.280 you continue 00:41:53.280 --> 00:41:54.380 to open up hearts, 00:41:56.760 --> 00:41:59.660 Afghan Muslim hearts 00:41:59.660 --> 00:42:01.220 for the gospel 00:42:01.220 --> 00:42:02.180 of Jesus Christ. 00:42:05.080 --> 00:42:05.600 Lord, 00:42:05.700 --> 00:42:07.020 I thank you so much 00:42:07.020 --> 00:42:10.160 that you took a man 00:42:10.160 --> 00:42:10.600 and a woman 00:42:10.600 --> 00:42:12.260 who worked in construction 00:42:12.260 --> 00:42:13.360 and food service, 00:42:13.520 --> 00:42:13.720 Lord, 00:42:13.820 --> 00:42:14.880 and you called them 00:42:14.880 --> 00:42:16.040 to your mission field 00:42:16.040 --> 00:42:17.640 and they're there, 00:42:17.820 --> 00:42:17.920 Lord, 00:42:18.040 --> 00:42:18.920 sharing the gospel 00:42:18.920 --> 00:42:19.920 of Jesus Christ 00:42:19.920 --> 00:42:20.740 in ways that 00:42:20.740 --> 00:42:21.820 five years ago 00:42:21.820 --> 00:42:22.420 they never would have 00:42:22.420 --> 00:42:23.560 dreamt, 00:42:23.560 --> 00:42:24.640 but you called them. 00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:26.620 Lord, 00:42:26.620 --> 00:42:27.320 I pray for the work 00:42:27.320 --> 00:42:28.860 going on in North Africa 00:42:28.860 --> 00:42:31.320 as so many 00:42:31.320 --> 00:42:32.240 are hindered 00:42:32.240 --> 00:42:32.960 to even hearing 00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:33.680 about the truth 00:42:33.680 --> 00:42:34.180 and so Lord, 00:42:34.220 --> 00:42:35.140 today I pray 00:42:35.140 --> 00:42:36.540 for private conversations 00:42:36.540 --> 00:42:38.000 that are whispered 00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:39.220 in coffee shops 00:42:39.220 --> 00:42:40.380 and private conversations 00:42:40.380 --> 00:42:41.560 that are whispered 00:42:41.560 --> 00:42:43.020 in homes 00:42:43.020 --> 00:42:44.560 and private conversations, 00:42:44.760 --> 00:42:44.880 Lord, 00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:45.580 that are whispered 00:42:45.580 --> 00:42:46.400 on street corners 00:42:46.400 --> 00:42:47.640 so that men and women 00:42:47.640 --> 00:42:48.780 may have faith 00:42:48.780 --> 00:42:49.040 and Lord, 00:42:49.100 --> 00:42:50.160 I pray against all 00:42:50.160 --> 00:42:51.500 the terrorist groups 00:42:51.500 --> 00:42:52.100 that are seeking 00:42:52.100 --> 00:42:53.120 to recruit more, 00:42:53.280 --> 00:42:53.420 Lord, 00:42:53.500 --> 00:42:54.700 as you're building 00:42:54.700 --> 00:42:55.540 and you're saving 00:42:55.540 --> 00:42:56.220 men and women, 00:42:56.760 --> 00:42:57.280 may their hope 00:42:57.280 --> 00:42:57.920 be found there. 00:42:58.020 --> 00:42:58.080 Lord, 00:42:58.100 --> 00:42:59.060 I pray for the work 00:42:59.060 --> 00:43:00.040 that's being done 00:43:00.040 --> 00:43:00.620 in Toronto 00:43:00.620 --> 00:43:01.900 where refugees 00:43:01.900 --> 00:43:03.200 from all over this world 00:43:03.200 --> 00:43:04.520 are pouring into 00:43:04.520 --> 00:43:05.640 and they're bringing 00:43:05.640 --> 00:43:06.480 their faiths 00:43:06.480 --> 00:43:07.040 that they know 00:43:07.040 --> 00:43:07.720 are broken 00:43:07.720 --> 00:43:08.600 and they're looking 00:43:08.600 --> 00:43:09.560 for something different 00:43:09.560 --> 00:43:10.480 and they're finding 00:43:10.480 --> 00:43:12.900 a group of believers 00:43:12.900 --> 00:43:13.720 that are scattered 00:43:13.720 --> 00:43:15.000 amongst the city there 00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:15.720 that is growing 00:43:15.720 --> 00:43:17.100 ever more lost 00:43:17.100 --> 00:43:18.480 but a remnant, 00:43:18.740 --> 00:43:18.800 Lord, 00:43:18.880 --> 00:43:19.460 that's there 00:43:19.460 --> 00:43:20.360 of believers 00:43:20.360 --> 00:43:22.080 who are living boldly 00:43:22.080 --> 00:43:22.860 for their faith 00:43:22.860 --> 00:43:25.000 and sharing hope. 00:43:27.340 --> 00:43:27.860 Lord, 00:43:27.900 --> 00:43:28.780 I pray for VBS 00:43:28.780 --> 00:43:29.780 that'll happen here 00:43:29.780 --> 00:43:31.400 in one short week. 00:43:32.680 --> 00:43:33.700 I pray for all 00:43:33.700 --> 00:43:34.400 the workers 00:43:34.400 --> 00:43:35.720 who are gonna be here 00:43:35.720 --> 00:43:36.480 who are gonna give 00:43:36.480 --> 00:43:37.100 and sacrifice 00:43:37.100 --> 00:43:38.040 of their time. 00:43:38.460 --> 00:43:39.380 I pray for the family, 00:43:39.600 --> 00:43:40.080 some, Lord, 00:43:40.160 --> 00:43:41.660 that call Willow Ridge home 00:43:41.660 --> 00:43:42.320 but, Lord, 00:43:42.360 --> 00:43:42.840 as we've seen 00:43:42.840 --> 00:43:43.460 the registration, 00:43:43.740 --> 00:43:44.760 many that are coming 00:43:44.760 --> 00:43:45.500 in off the street 00:43:45.500 --> 00:43:46.600 that we do not know 00:43:46.600 --> 00:43:47.500 and I pray, Lord, 00:43:47.540 --> 00:43:48.100 it's a time 00:43:48.100 --> 00:43:49.100 to share the love 00:43:49.100 --> 00:43:49.700 of Christ 00:43:49.700 --> 00:43:51.220 and that not only children 00:43:51.220 --> 00:43:53.060 but moms and dads 00:43:53.060 --> 00:43:54.460 and maybe grandparents 00:43:54.460 --> 00:43:55.160 and neighbors 00:43:55.160 --> 00:43:56.200 will come to faith 00:43:56.200 --> 00:43:57.520 in Jesus 00:43:57.520 --> 00:43:59.640 through a VBS. 00:44:01.360 --> 00:44:01.820 Lord, 00:44:01.860 --> 00:44:02.760 I pray for the families 00:44:02.760 --> 00:44:03.480 of our church 00:44:03.480 --> 00:44:10.720 Lord, 00:44:12.720 --> 00:44:13.460 I pray that our 00:44:13.460 --> 00:44:15.840 our dads 00:44:15.840 --> 00:44:16.600 and husbands 00:44:16.600 --> 00:44:19.760 Lord, 00:44:19.860 --> 00:44:20.540 could lead 00:44:20.540 --> 00:44:25.940 not as we decide to 00:44:25.940 --> 00:44:26.420 but as 00:44:26.420 --> 00:44:28.420 you showed us 00:44:28.420 --> 00:44:31.180 as Christ 00:44:31.180 --> 00:44:32.000 loved the church. 00:44:34.200 --> 00:44:34.640 Lord, 00:44:34.660 --> 00:44:35.620 I pray for our 00:44:35.620 --> 00:44:36.260 wives 00:44:36.260 --> 00:44:37.100 and our moms 00:44:37.100 --> 00:44:37.480 here, 00:44:37.640 --> 00:44:37.940 Lord, 00:44:39.140 --> 00:44:40.800 that they would 00:44:40.800 --> 00:44:41.380 then lead 00:44:41.380 --> 00:44:42.320 and respond 00:44:42.320 --> 00:44:44.100 Lord, 00:44:44.140 --> 00:44:44.740 how the church 00:44:44.740 --> 00:44:45.740 responds to you. 00:44:47.740 --> 00:44:48.140 Lord, 00:44:48.160 --> 00:44:49.060 I pray for the next 00:44:49.060 --> 00:44:49.660 generation 00:44:49.660 --> 00:44:50.120 for these 00:44:50.120 --> 00:44:51.000 kids 00:44:51.000 --> 00:44:54.080 of what is modeled 00:44:54.080 --> 00:44:54.500 to them 00:44:54.500 --> 00:44:55.220 and what is shown 00:44:55.220 --> 00:44:55.520 to them, 00:44:55.660 --> 00:44:55.780 Lord, 00:44:55.840 --> 00:44:56.400 they will not 00:44:56.400 --> 00:44:57.500 turn from it 00:44:57.500 --> 00:44:59.080 but that the 00:44:59.080 --> 00:44:59.840 gospel word 00:44:59.840 --> 00:45:00.500 will be implanted 00:45:00.500 --> 00:45:01.240 in their heart 00:45:01.240 --> 00:45:02.640 and they will 00:45:02.640 --> 00:45:03.660 grow and mature 00:45:03.660 --> 00:45:04.460 in their faith 00:45:04.460 --> 00:45:06.360 and continue 00:45:06.360 --> 00:45:06.820 forward. 00:45:09.460 --> 00:45:10.020 Lord, 00:45:10.020 --> 00:45:10.640 I pray for the 00:45:10.640 --> 00:45:11.240 lost 00:45:11.240 --> 00:45:13.440 that surround 00:45:13.440 --> 00:45:13.900 us. 00:45:16.080 --> 00:45:16.640 Lord, 00:45:16.700 --> 00:45:17.380 may you give us 00:45:17.380 --> 00:45:18.700 times and opportunities 00:45:18.700 --> 00:45:19.520 and moments 00:45:19.520 --> 00:45:21.800 not simply 00:45:21.800 --> 00:45:22.440 just to love 00:45:22.440 --> 00:45:22.820 people 00:45:22.820 --> 00:45:24.720 but to share 00:45:24.720 --> 00:45:26.440 the very hope 00:45:26.440 --> 00:45:27.680 of the gospel. 00:45:30.780 --> 00:45:31.340 Lord, 00:45:31.360 --> 00:45:31.940 I pray for this 00:45:31.940 --> 00:45:32.640 season of prayer. 00:45:35.400 --> 00:45:36.620 May our knees 00:45:36.620 --> 00:45:37.620 become sore 00:45:37.620 --> 00:45:40.680 but may our hearts 00:45:40.680 --> 00:45:41.560 be strengthened 00:45:41.560 --> 00:45:44.000 as we kneel 00:45:44.000 --> 00:45:44.780 before you 00:45:44.780 --> 00:45:46.940 and as we cry 00:45:46.940 --> 00:45:47.560 out to you. 00:45:49.860 --> 00:45:50.220 Lord, 00:45:50.280 --> 00:45:50.620 I thank you 00:45:50.620 --> 00:45:51.000 for all 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:51.380 that you've 00:45:51.380 --> 00:45:51.700 done. 00:45:53.260 --> 00:45:53.620 Lord, 00:45:53.660 --> 00:45:54.060 I thank you 00:45:54.060 --> 00:45:54.780 for all 00:45:54.780 --> 00:45:55.220 that you're 00:45:55.220 --> 00:45:55.620 doing 00:45:55.620 --> 00:45:57.760 and Lord, 00:45:57.820 --> 00:45:58.140 for all 00:45:58.140 --> 00:45:58.440 that you're 00:45:58.440 --> 00:45:59.140 going to do 00:45:59.140 --> 00:46:01.000 and it's 00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:01.400 in Jesus' 00:46:01.580 --> 00:46:02.040 name we pray. 00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:03.180 Amen. 00:46:11.140 --> 00:46:11.560 We're going 00:46:11.560 --> 00:46:12.120 to respond 00:46:12.120 --> 00:46:14.340 to him 00:46:14.340 --> 00:46:14.820 in worship. 00:46:16.520 --> 00:46:17.120 You're fine 00:46:17.120 --> 00:46:17.420 if you want 00:46:17.420 --> 00:46:17.840 to stand up, 00:46:17.900 --> 00:46:18.220 sit down, 00:46:18.280 --> 00:46:18.680 you're good. 00:46:20.420 --> 00:46:21.040 But maybe 00:46:21.040 --> 00:46:21.400 you want 00:46:21.400 --> 00:46:21.840 to continue 00:46:21.840 --> 00:46:22.480 on in prayer. 00:46:23.960 --> 00:46:24.540 Maybe right 00:46:24.540 --> 00:46:25.100 where you are 00:46:25.100 --> 00:46:25.500 or maybe down 00:46:25.500 --> 00:46:25.800 front. 00:46:27.020 --> 00:46:27.460 Maybe you 00:46:27.460 --> 00:46:27.720 want to come 00:46:27.720 --> 00:46:28.180 pray with me. 00:46:28.300 --> 00:46:28.860 I'll be right 00:46:28.860 --> 00:46:29.300 here with my 00:46:29.300 --> 00:46:29.580 family. 00:46:29.660 --> 00:46:29.900 We'd love 00:46:29.900 --> 00:46:30.160 to pray 00:46:30.160 --> 00:46:30.500 with you. 00:46:34.060 --> 00:46:34.660 Bring it 00:46:34.660 --> 00:46:36.860 before the Lord. 00:46:36.860 --> 00:46:48.920 thanks again for 00:46:48.920 --> 00:46:49.840 thanks again for 00:46:49.840 --> 00:46:50.520 listening to the 00:46:50.520 --> 00:46:50.960 Willow Ridge 00:46:50.960 --> 00:46:51.660 Church weekly 00:46:51.660 --> 00:46:52.300 podcast. 00:46:52.760 --> 00:46:53.280 We hope that you 00:46:53.280 --> 00:46:54.120 enjoyed listening to 00:46:54.120 --> 00:46:54.920 this week's message. 00:46:55.200 --> 00:46:56.100 If you'd like to 00:46:56.100 --> 00:46:56.740 learn more about 00:46:56.740 --> 00:46:57.300 who we are 00:46:57.300 --> 00:46:57.960 or explore 00:46:57.960 --> 00:46:58.920 additional resources, 00:46:59.580 --> 00:47:00.400 visit us online 00:47:00.400 --> 00:47:03.960 at www.willowridgechurch.com 00:47:03.960 --> 00:47:05.180 or by searching 00:47:05.180 --> 00:47:05.840 for Willow Ridge 00:47:05.840 --> 00:47:06.820 Church on Facebook 00:47:06.820 --> 00:47:07.520 and Instagram.