1 00:00:01,100 --> 00:00:04,440 The series of our little talk is Back 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:10,100 to Basics, and the subject today is just 3 00:00:10,100 --> 00:00:15,480 a quiet talk on prayer, and the golden 4 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:19,280 text is in 1 John chapter 5. 5 00:00:19,940 --> 00:00:22,220 So if you'd turn to that please, 1 6 00:00:22,220 --> 00:00:27,160 John chapter 5, verses 14 and 15. 7 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:37,470 Now this is 8 00:00:37,470 --> 00:00:39,850 the confidence that we have in Him, that 9 00:00:39,850 --> 00:00:42,710 if we ask anything according to His will, 10 00:00:42,990 --> 00:00:44,130 He hears us. 11 00:00:44,530 --> 00:00:46,430 And if we know that He hears us, 12 00:00:46,790 --> 00:00:48,950 whatever we ask, we know that we have 13 00:00:48,950 --> 00:00:52,650 the petitions that we have asked of Him. 14 00:00:54,310 --> 00:00:57,430 I almost feel like beginning this message with 15 00:00:57,430 --> 00:00:58,190 an apology. 16 00:00:59,970 --> 00:01:05,850 If you want to really humble me, ask 17 00:01:05,850 --> 00:01:08,670 me, how is your prayer life? 18 00:01:13,100 --> 00:01:14,000 What can I say? 19 00:01:16,300 --> 00:01:18,560 I have to say I don't spend as 20 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:21,060 much time in prayer as I should. 21 00:01:23,340 --> 00:01:27,080 And maybe that will strike a responsive chord 22 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:28,920 in someone else's heart here today. 23 00:01:31,420 --> 00:01:35,520 Somebody said, preach into your own heart, and 24 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,700 you'll be surprised how many hearts you hit. 25 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,180 And today I'm preaching into my own heart, 26 00:01:42,180 --> 00:01:44,180 and I just want to share with you 27 00:01:44,180 --> 00:01:48,460 some simple thoughts on the subject of prayer 28 00:01:48,460 --> 00:01:51,240 that have been helpful to me. 29 00:01:53,950 --> 00:01:59,010 First of all, man never comes closer to 30 00:01:59,010 --> 00:02:02,890 omnipotence than when he prays in the name 31 00:02:02,890 --> 00:02:04,570 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 32 00:02:06,070 --> 00:02:09,570 You and I will never be omnipotent. 33 00:02:09,650 --> 00:02:12,190 We will never have all power. 34 00:02:14,070 --> 00:02:17,050 But we never come closer to it than 35 00:02:17,050 --> 00:02:19,870 when we pray in Jesus' name. 36 00:02:20,490 --> 00:02:24,310 Because when we pray in that name, it's 37 00:02:24,310 --> 00:02:27,430 just the same as if the Lord Jesus 38 00:02:27,430 --> 00:02:30,470 were making those requests of the Father. 39 00:02:31,030 --> 00:02:33,570 And dear friends, that's power. 40 00:02:34,850 --> 00:02:37,750 That really is power. 41 00:02:38,750 --> 00:02:41,670 And it's a wonderful thing to be able 42 00:02:41,670 --> 00:02:43,430 to come into the presence of God the 43 00:02:43,430 --> 00:02:47,290 Father in the worthy name of the Lord 44 00:02:47,290 --> 00:02:48,590 Jesus Christ. 45 00:02:50,030 --> 00:02:53,190 An old bishop was right when he said, 46 00:02:54,670 --> 00:02:57,610 when I pray, things happen. 47 00:02:58,530 --> 00:03:01,890 When I don't pray, they don't happen. 48 00:03:05,210 --> 00:03:08,150 When I pray, things happen. 49 00:03:08,530 --> 00:03:11,550 When I don't pray, they don't happen. 50 00:03:12,590 --> 00:03:14,850 I'd like to suggest to you this morning 51 00:03:14,850 --> 00:03:19,110 that Christians hold the balance of power in 52 00:03:19,110 --> 00:03:20,450 the world through prayer. 53 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,120 We can affect the destiny of nations through 54 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:28,580 prayer. 55 00:03:31,540 --> 00:03:34,800 Some of us have been almost breathless in 56 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,160 recent months as we've watched what has happened 57 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:39,200 in Eastern Europe. 58 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,960 When we saw the Berlin Wall come down 59 00:03:48,250 --> 00:03:52,090 and a breath of freedom blow across Eastern 60 00:03:52,090 --> 00:03:52,450 Europe. 61 00:03:54,620 --> 00:03:55,720 Do you know why that happened? 62 00:03:56,800 --> 00:03:59,900 That happened because Christians have been praying. 63 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:01,600 That's why it happened. 64 00:04:04,740 --> 00:04:06,960 I think sometimes we lose the sense of 65 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,740 that, that these great movements in human history 66 00:04:10,740 --> 00:04:14,600 are the result of the prayers of God's 67 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:14,980 people. 68 00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:18,040 When I was over there last October, I 69 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:20,120 was told that there were no, at that 70 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,960 time, there were no Christians in prison in 71 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,380 Russia as a result of their faith. 72 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:28,600 You tell me that isn't an answer to 73 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:28,940 prayer. 74 00:04:29,980 --> 00:04:32,920 Christians hold the balance of power in the 75 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:34,040 world through prayer. 76 00:04:35,970 --> 00:04:39,590 And we can affect the destiny of nations 77 00:04:39,590 --> 00:04:40,310 through prayer. 78 00:04:40,970 --> 00:04:43,350 I'm sure I've told this to you before, 79 00:04:43,350 --> 00:04:45,750 some of you before, and I'm sure too 80 00:04:45,750 --> 00:04:47,030 there are some that never heard it. 81 00:04:47,030 --> 00:04:49,850 On the second Friday of every month, we 82 00:04:49,850 --> 00:04:51,210 have a prayer meeting up there. 83 00:04:51,290 --> 00:04:52,910 It's kind of a missionary prayer meeting. 84 00:04:53,790 --> 00:04:58,450 And young people come from various assemblies and 85 00:04:58,450 --> 00:04:59,350 other groups. 86 00:05:01,250 --> 00:05:03,590 Some years ago, we gathered on that Friday 87 00:05:03,590 --> 00:05:05,770 night and we did something that we had 88 00:05:05,770 --> 00:05:06,550 never done before. 89 00:05:06,710 --> 00:05:09,390 We opened the meeting in a time of 90 00:05:09,390 --> 00:05:13,750 confession of sin, confessing the sins of the 91 00:05:13,750 --> 00:05:18,050 nation, confessing the sins of the church, confessing 92 00:05:18,050 --> 00:05:20,750 individual sins, but not in a lurid way. 93 00:05:22,670 --> 00:05:24,690 And that time of confession went on for 94 00:05:24,690 --> 00:05:25,370 quite a while. 95 00:05:25,890 --> 00:05:29,010 Then we started to pray for missionaries in 96 00:05:29,010 --> 00:05:30,850 various nations of the world. 97 00:05:31,630 --> 00:05:33,930 And we had a letter from Dick Sanders, 98 00:05:34,170 --> 00:05:35,750 who at that time was in the Chad 99 00:05:35,750 --> 00:05:36,430 Republic. 100 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:41,920 And at that time, there was a wicked 101 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:43,200 ruler in the Chad. 102 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:46,720 His name was Pombobai, and he was massacring 103 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:47,540 the Christians. 104 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:51,200 Time Magazine reported that one Christian had been 105 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,840 buried up to his neck in sand, and 106 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:55,920 the ants finished him off. 107 00:05:56,500 --> 00:05:58,820 Another Christian had been put inside a drum 108 00:05:58,820 --> 00:06:00,820 and they beat on the drum till he 109 00:06:00,820 --> 00:06:01,940 starved to death. 110 00:06:02,660 --> 00:06:05,160 And Dick wrote us in this letter that 111 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:09,940 he said, don't feel sorry for the Christians 112 00:06:09,940 --> 00:06:10,980 that have gone to heaven. 113 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:12,800 But he said, pray for those who are 114 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:13,540 still alive. 115 00:06:13,780 --> 00:06:14,360 And we did. 116 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:15,820 I think it was about two o'clock 117 00:06:15,820 --> 00:06:16,680 Saturday morning. 118 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,680 We're praying for the Chad Republic and for 119 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:20,960 the Christians there. 120 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:25,440 Just a little group of nobodies in San 121 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:30,200 Leandro, California, praying for nations of the world. 122 00:06:31,060 --> 00:06:33,860 Sunday morning, I'm going to Bethany Chapel to 123 00:06:33,860 --> 00:06:36,120 minister the word, and I flick on the 124 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:37,580 radio, the news station. 125 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:39,940 Newsflash. 126 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:41,900 Chad Republic. 127 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:44,160 Military coup. 128 00:06:45,060 --> 00:06:46,400 Pombobai killed. 129 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,620 And really the result was that a military 130 00:06:49,620 --> 00:06:52,580 general was elevated to power who was favorable 131 00:06:52,580 --> 00:06:54,700 to the evangelical cause. 132 00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:58,760 Now, do you believe that a group of 133 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,260 young people praying in a prayer meeting at 134 00:07:01,260 --> 00:07:03,540 two o'clock on a Saturday morning could 135 00:07:03,540 --> 00:07:05,700 affect the destiny of the Chad Republic? 136 00:07:06,020 --> 00:07:07,180 Well, I want to tell you something. 137 00:07:07,700 --> 00:07:09,300 All the young people that were there that 138 00:07:09,300 --> 00:07:10,020 night believe it. 139 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:13,000 They believe that didn't happen by chance. 140 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:17,420 That marvelous converging of circumstances and the timing 141 00:07:17,420 --> 00:07:20,800 and sequence of events could only be of 142 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:21,200 God. 143 00:07:22,740 --> 00:07:24,520 Really, when you think of that, you say, 144 00:07:24,660 --> 00:07:25,760 why don't we pray more? 145 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:27,000 And I ask myself that. 146 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:28,100 I rebuke myself. 147 00:07:28,340 --> 00:07:30,960 Why don't I pray more? 148 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,760 Next, the best prayer comes from a strong 149 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:38,020 inward necessity. 150 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:39,660 You know this. 151 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:40,800 You know this from experience. 152 00:07:40,940 --> 00:07:43,900 The best prayer comes from a strong inward 153 00:07:43,900 --> 00:07:44,520 necessity. 154 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,040 First of all, when a person is unsaved 155 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,640 and he's casual about it all and he 156 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:52,120 doesn't think very much about it. 157 00:07:52,340 --> 00:07:53,660 But I tell you, when the Spirit of 158 00:07:53,660 --> 00:07:55,860 God comes upon him and his life is 159 00:07:55,860 --> 00:07:58,580 brought to a crisis point, he knows how 160 00:07:58,580 --> 00:08:01,000 to cry to God for salvation. 161 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:06,220 But even in the Christian life, too, the 162 00:08:06,220 --> 00:08:08,740 best prayer comes from a strong inward necessity. 163 00:08:08,900 --> 00:08:11,420 It makes you wonder why we don't live 164 00:08:11,420 --> 00:08:13,520 more in dependence on the Lord. 165 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,800 Why we have to surround ourselves with all 166 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:20,080 the security systems, all the pillows, all the 167 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,760 crutches, all the support, all the superstructure, so 168 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:25,320 we really don't need God. 169 00:08:28,470 --> 00:08:30,530 I'll never forget a young fellow saying to 170 00:08:30,530 --> 00:08:31,130 me, young O. 171 00:08:31,210 --> 00:08:32,210 Emmer, Greg Livingston. 172 00:08:33,169 --> 00:08:36,510 He said, it's very hard to live a 173 00:08:36,510 --> 00:08:38,070 life of faith in the United States. 174 00:08:38,429 --> 00:08:40,049 He said, you have to put yourself in 175 00:08:40,049 --> 00:08:42,110 a position where you have to trust God. 176 00:08:42,350 --> 00:08:44,290 Where if God fails you, you're sunk. 177 00:08:44,790 --> 00:08:46,670 And when you do that, there'll be a 178 00:08:46,670 --> 00:08:47,730 power in your life. 179 00:08:48,010 --> 00:08:50,430 And when you touch other lives, something will 180 00:08:50,430 --> 00:08:51,370 happen for God. 181 00:08:51,810 --> 00:08:52,210 Wow. 182 00:08:54,210 --> 00:08:55,870 Can I say that again to you? 183 00:08:56,610 --> 00:08:58,290 Hard to live a life of faith in 184 00:08:58,290 --> 00:08:58,970 the United States. 185 00:08:59,030 --> 00:09:00,930 He said, you have to put yourself in 186 00:09:00,930 --> 00:09:03,030 a position where you have to trust God. 187 00:09:03,330 --> 00:09:05,670 Where if God fails you, you're sunk. 188 00:09:05,930 --> 00:09:07,310 And he said, if you do that, there'll 189 00:09:07,310 --> 00:09:08,670 be a power in your life. 190 00:09:08,830 --> 00:09:11,710 And when you touch other lives, something will 191 00:09:11,710 --> 00:09:13,190 happen for God. 192 00:09:14,450 --> 00:09:17,130 Remember, Lord Jesus said to the disciples, launch 193 00:09:17,130 --> 00:09:18,130 out into the deep. 194 00:09:19,010 --> 00:09:20,390 And I think that's what he's saying to 195 00:09:20,390 --> 00:09:21,330 us too today. 196 00:09:22,010 --> 00:09:24,630 We try to hug the shore as far 197 00:09:24,630 --> 00:09:26,250 as a life of faith is concerned. 198 00:09:26,410 --> 00:09:31,410 We feel more secure there close to the 199 00:09:31,410 --> 00:09:31,930 edge. 200 00:09:33,290 --> 00:09:35,270 And the Lord Jesus is saying to us 201 00:09:35,270 --> 00:09:38,690 all the time, launch out into the deep. 202 00:09:39,330 --> 00:09:41,290 Next, I'd like to suggest to you that 203 00:09:41,290 --> 00:09:46,590 God seldom, if ever, does anything except in 204 00:09:46,590 --> 00:09:47,430 answer to prayer. 205 00:09:47,790 --> 00:09:49,650 It's going to be a shocker to some 206 00:09:49,650 --> 00:09:49,930 of you. 207 00:09:51,230 --> 00:09:55,710 God seldom, if ever, does anything except in 208 00:09:55,710 --> 00:09:56,370 answer to prayer. 209 00:09:56,610 --> 00:09:58,110 I got to put that statement to the 210 00:09:58,110 --> 00:09:58,970 test right now. 211 00:09:59,790 --> 00:10:02,390 I'm going to ask you who are saved 212 00:10:02,390 --> 00:10:04,030 by the grace of God. 213 00:10:04,690 --> 00:10:07,390 Okay, raise your hand if you can think 214 00:10:07,390 --> 00:10:10,550 of someone who prayed for you before you 215 00:10:10,550 --> 00:10:11,030 were saved. 216 00:10:11,190 --> 00:10:11,790 Would you raise your hand? 217 00:10:12,970 --> 00:10:14,050 I've proved my point. 218 00:10:15,210 --> 00:10:19,450 God seldom, if ever, does anything except in 219 00:10:19,450 --> 00:10:20,350 answer to prayer. 220 00:10:20,490 --> 00:10:24,290 Spurgeon said, prayer is the forerunner of mercy. 221 00:10:24,690 --> 00:10:27,590 Turn to sacred history and you'll find that 222 00:10:27,590 --> 00:10:30,010 seldom ever did a great mercy come to 223 00:10:30,010 --> 00:10:33,350 this world unheralded by supplication. 224 00:10:33,350 --> 00:10:37,270 Prayer is always the preface of blessing. 225 00:10:39,990 --> 00:10:42,430 When I meet somebody, maybe a young fellow, 226 00:10:42,610 --> 00:10:44,370 and he's just come to the Lord, and 227 00:10:44,370 --> 00:10:45,910 I like to say to him, who prayed 228 00:10:45,910 --> 00:10:46,350 for you? 229 00:10:47,530 --> 00:10:50,270 And he thinks, you know, I had a 230 00:10:50,270 --> 00:10:51,610 grandmother who knew the Lord. 231 00:10:51,790 --> 00:10:52,430 Something like that. 232 00:10:52,650 --> 00:10:54,450 Something like that always comes out. 233 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,280 What a great incentive for us to pray. 234 00:11:00,740 --> 00:11:03,440 God has limited certain of his activities to 235 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,280 responding to the prayers of his people. 236 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,760 Unless they pray, he will not act. 237 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,100 Heaven may will something to happen, but heaven 238 00:11:13,100 --> 00:11:17,300 waits and encourages Earth's initiative to desire that 239 00:11:17,300 --> 00:11:19,760 will, and then to will and pray that 240 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:20,280 it happens. 241 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,580 The will of God is not done on 242 00:11:23,580 --> 00:11:31,440 Earth by an inexorable juggernaut omnipotence or ignoring 243 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:32,640 the will of man on Earth. 244 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:35,360 R.B. Matthews says this, On the contrary, 245 00:11:35,620 --> 00:11:38,580 God has will that his hand be held 246 00:11:38,580 --> 00:11:41,660 back while he seeks for a man, an 247 00:11:41,660 --> 00:11:45,440 intercessor to plead, Thy will be done on 248 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,460 Earth as it is in heaven. 249 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:53,320 In other words, he bids his own work 250 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:55,640 wait on man's prayers. 251 00:11:56,560 --> 00:11:57,860 Something to think about, isn't it? 252 00:11:57,860 --> 00:12:02,660 God bids his own work to wait on 253 00:12:02,660 --> 00:12:04,420 man's prayers. 254 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:08,880 Next, I'd like to suggest to you this 255 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:12,540 morning that prayer moves God to do things 256 00:12:12,540 --> 00:12:14,980 that he wouldn't otherwise have done. 257 00:12:16,580 --> 00:12:17,520 Really does. 258 00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:20,360 Prayer moves God to do things that he 259 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,380 wouldn't otherwise have done. 260 00:12:23,620 --> 00:12:25,280 I know a lot of people have the 261 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,400 idea that all prayer does is bring us 262 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,680 into cooperation with what God is going to 263 00:12:31,680 --> 00:12:32,460 do anyway. 264 00:12:32,680 --> 00:12:33,260 It isn't true. 265 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:36,940 Turn in your Bibles, please, to James chapter 266 00:12:36,940 --> 00:12:39,720 4 and verse 2. 267 00:12:39,820 --> 00:12:43,080 James chapter 4 and verse 2. 268 00:12:43,460 --> 00:12:46,000 And there it says it very, very clearly. 269 00:12:46,660 --> 00:12:48,900 You lust and do not have. 270 00:12:49,260 --> 00:12:52,400 You murder and covet and cannot obtain. 271 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,220 You fight and war, yet you do not 272 00:12:56,220 --> 00:12:59,620 have because you do not ask. 273 00:13:00,740 --> 00:13:01,280 That's it. 274 00:13:01,620 --> 00:13:05,100 You do not have because you do not 275 00:13:05,100 --> 00:13:05,640 ask. 276 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:07,540 Chapter 5, verse 16. 277 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,840 Confess your trespasses to one another and pray 278 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,340 for one another that you may be healed. 279 00:13:13,660 --> 00:13:17,040 The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man 280 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:18,860 avails much. 281 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:20,840 So what a wonderful thing it is to 282 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,160 be able to touch the throne of God 283 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:27,100 in prayer and see God doing things that 284 00:13:27,100 --> 00:13:28,240 otherwise he wouldn't. 285 00:13:28,500 --> 00:13:30,120 Let me tell you something this morning. 286 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:35,800 The warehouses of heaven are filled with crates 287 00:13:37,220 --> 00:13:41,460 containing blessings that no one ever asked for. 288 00:13:42,860 --> 00:13:43,840 It's true. 289 00:13:44,020 --> 00:13:48,200 The warehouses of heaven are filled with unopened 290 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:55,520 crates containing unimaginable blessings that nobody has ever 291 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:56,720 asked for. 292 00:13:58,970 --> 00:14:01,070 Something else that has helped me in a 293 00:14:01,070 --> 00:14:03,550 life of prayer, such as it is, is 294 00:14:03,550 --> 00:14:03,850 this. 295 00:14:04,930 --> 00:14:07,530 God always answers prayer. 296 00:14:08,750 --> 00:14:11,390 And he always answers it in the way 297 00:14:11,390 --> 00:14:14,710 that you would answer it if you had 298 00:14:14,710 --> 00:14:17,870 his wisdom, love, and power. 299 00:14:19,430 --> 00:14:22,630 If you knew what God knows, and if 300 00:14:22,630 --> 00:14:25,550 you loved as God loves, and if you 301 00:14:25,550 --> 00:14:28,610 had the power that God has, you would 302 00:14:28,610 --> 00:14:32,690 answer prayer in just exactly the same way 303 00:14:32,690 --> 00:14:33,450 God answers. 304 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:38,640 I have a friend who was wrapping some 305 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,040 books the other night, and his little girl 306 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:42,020 came out of the bedroom. 307 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:44,140 She's five, came out of the bedroom. 308 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:48,300 And in her nightie, she had gone to 309 00:14:48,300 --> 00:14:49,800 bed, but she was wide awake. 310 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,160 And she said to him, Daddy, I'm going 311 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:53,860 home to heaven. 312 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:55,480 He said, What do you mean? 313 00:14:56,420 --> 00:14:59,760 Well, she said, I'm going to go home 314 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:01,000 to heaven at midnight tonight. 315 00:15:01,700 --> 00:15:03,120 And he said, What do you ever say 316 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:03,680 that for? 317 00:15:04,740 --> 00:15:07,040 Well, she said, I don't want to live 318 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:07,840 here any longer. 319 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:09,360 Five years old. 320 00:15:11,260 --> 00:15:12,340 I don't want to stay here. 321 00:15:12,380 --> 00:15:14,040 He said, What about Daddy and Mommy? 322 00:15:15,180 --> 00:15:16,500 But she said, You can come and visit 323 00:15:16,500 --> 00:15:16,860 me. 324 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:21,200 Well, he said, What makes you think you're 325 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:21,880 going home to heaven? 326 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:23,700 She said, Well, I asked God and he 327 00:15:23,700 --> 00:15:24,860 answers prayer, doesn't he? 328 00:15:27,990 --> 00:15:29,830 And the father said, Yes, he does answer 329 00:15:29,830 --> 00:15:30,510 prayer, dear. 330 00:15:31,510 --> 00:15:34,910 But supposing you said to me, Daddy, I 331 00:15:34,910 --> 00:15:37,250 don't want to eat anything but candy the 332 00:15:37,250 --> 00:15:38,010 rest of my life. 333 00:15:38,070 --> 00:15:38,890 Would you give it to me? 334 00:15:39,310 --> 00:15:41,690 She said, He said, Would I give it 335 00:15:41,690 --> 00:15:42,030 to you? 336 00:15:42,390 --> 00:15:43,250 And she said, No. 337 00:15:43,350 --> 00:15:44,790 And he said, Why wouldn't I give it 338 00:15:44,790 --> 00:15:45,050 to you? 339 00:15:45,170 --> 00:15:46,670 She said, Because it wouldn't be good for 340 00:15:46,670 --> 00:15:46,850 me. 341 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:50,340 And she went and had a good night's 342 00:15:50,340 --> 00:15:50,580 rest. 343 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:54,840 So that's right. 344 00:15:54,940 --> 00:15:58,140 God answers prayer in the same way you 345 00:15:58,140 --> 00:16:00,620 would answer it if you had his wisdom, 346 00:16:00,740 --> 00:16:01,140 love and power. 347 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:03,120 I tell you, that gives us great confidence 348 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:03,960 in prayer, doesn't it? 349 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:06,720 Because sometimes we don't know what to ask 350 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:06,860 for. 351 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,640 And sometimes we make very crazy requests if 352 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:10,480 you want to know the truth. 353 00:16:10,540 --> 00:16:11,340 I've done that. 354 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,860 But I thank God for his wisdom in 355 00:16:16,860 --> 00:16:17,900 answering prayer. 356 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:22,340 God nothing does nor suffers to be done 357 00:16:22,340 --> 00:16:25,740 but what you would yourself if you could 358 00:16:25,740 --> 00:16:28,380 see the end of all he does as 359 00:16:28,380 --> 00:16:28,960 well as he. 360 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,840 Which says God answers your prayers. 361 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,040 He knows what the end is, what the 362 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:38,240 purpose is, and he answers it. 363 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:42,980 When you say I have a problem, what 364 00:16:42,980 --> 00:16:45,440 about when I pray for my unsaved relative? 365 00:16:45,980 --> 00:16:47,900 Can I be sure when I pray for 366 00:16:47,900 --> 00:16:49,980 my unsaved relatives that they'll get saved? 367 00:16:50,060 --> 00:16:51,760 Well, let me tell you how I've resolved 368 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:52,800 that in my own mind. 369 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,500 I believe that when I pray for the 370 00:16:55,500 --> 00:16:59,800 unsaved, God brings influences to bear on their 371 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:00,240 lives. 372 00:17:00,500 --> 00:17:02,740 Maybe they flick on the radio and hear 373 00:17:02,740 --> 00:17:05,839 a gospel program or the TV or maybe 374 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:08,040 somebody hands them a crack or maybe they 375 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,359 see Jesus saved, saved painted on the side 376 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:12,000 of a rock. 377 00:17:12,460 --> 00:17:14,240 I believe with all my heart that when 378 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,180 I pray for an unsaved person, God brings 379 00:17:17,180 --> 00:17:19,980 some influence to bear on that person's life. 380 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:21,839 I might not know about it at all. 381 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,119 But God doesn't drag people to heaven against 382 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:25,720 their will. 383 00:17:26,140 --> 00:17:29,260 And the human will is involved in salvation, 384 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:30,020 isn't it? 385 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:34,460 So I pray God acts and then he 386 00:17:34,460 --> 00:17:37,660 leaves it to the individual to make the 387 00:17:37,660 --> 00:17:38,120 choice. 388 00:17:38,300 --> 00:17:40,400 He doesn't force the will. 389 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:47,580 Next, the work of God is done more 390 00:17:47,580 --> 00:17:50,520 in prayer than in any other way. 391 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,520 But I'd like to read another quote to 392 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:54,380 you in that regard. 393 00:17:54,780 --> 00:17:58,060 Prayer is the cutting edge in any work 394 00:17:58,060 --> 00:17:58,880 for God. 395 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:03,120 It's not a supplemental spiritual rocket to get 396 00:18:03,120 --> 00:18:05,940 some well-meaning effort off the ground. 397 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,300 Prayer is the work and the working power 398 00:18:09,300 --> 00:18:11,420 in any spiritual ministry. 399 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,060 It should be the central thrust. 400 00:18:15,460 --> 00:18:17,660 The spiritual history of a mission or a 401 00:18:17,660 --> 00:18:20,140 church is written in its prayer life. 402 00:18:20,140 --> 00:18:23,680 The expression of corporate life is not measured 403 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:26,920 in statistics, but in prayer depth. 404 00:18:27,180 --> 00:18:27,740 I like that. 405 00:18:28,300 --> 00:18:29,480 Let me read that again. 406 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:33,540 The expression of corporate life is not measured 407 00:18:33,540 --> 00:18:36,440 in statistics, but in prayer depth. 408 00:18:36,700 --> 00:18:38,980 Men today judge the success of a church 409 00:18:38,980 --> 00:18:40,680 by the number of people in it. 410 00:18:40,780 --> 00:18:41,300 God doesn't. 411 00:18:42,220 --> 00:18:45,960 The program of preaching, teaching, and serving, the 412 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,020 goal setting, the adoption of new 20th century 413 00:18:49,020 --> 00:18:53,640 techniques, seminars on time management and administrative procedures 414 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,140 are all good, but effective and productive in 415 00:18:57,140 --> 00:19:01,320 God's economy only as they're subject to prayer. 416 00:19:03,380 --> 00:19:04,700 Next, I'd like to say this. 417 00:19:04,860 --> 00:19:06,900 There are mysteries in connection with prayer. 418 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:09,640 I'm sure you face those in your own 419 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:10,020 mind. 420 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,040 Questions arise in regard to prayer. 421 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:15,680 I'd just like to leave this with you. 422 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,240 It's better to pray than to solve all 423 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:19,440 the mysteries in prayer. 424 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,900 Just leave the mysteries with God and just 425 00:19:26,900 --> 00:19:29,100 pray and learn. 426 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:34,140 As Hudson Taylor said, learn to move men 427 00:19:34,140 --> 00:19:38,180 through God by prayer. 428 00:19:39,660 --> 00:19:42,260 Prayer should be a joy for us. 429 00:19:42,340 --> 00:19:45,420 Not a duty, not a burden, but a 430 00:19:45,420 --> 00:19:45,740 joy. 431 00:19:45,740 --> 00:19:50,240 Paul says that in Philippians 1, making my 432 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:51,560 request with joy. 433 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,640 I think many times we think of prayer 434 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:57,720 as a duty, as a discipline, as a 435 00:19:57,720 --> 00:19:59,520 routine, as a ritual. 436 00:20:00,540 --> 00:20:02,860 Paul says, pardon me, I just happen to 437 00:20:02,860 --> 00:20:03,540 enjoy it. 438 00:20:04,940 --> 00:20:05,980 And we sing that. 439 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,380 Sometimes I think our hymnology is better than 440 00:20:08,380 --> 00:20:09,000 our practice. 441 00:20:09,220 --> 00:20:11,340 We sing, oh, the pure delight of a 442 00:20:11,340 --> 00:20:14,060 single hour that before thy throne I spend. 443 00:20:17,110 --> 00:20:19,120 A wonderful, wonderful thing. 444 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:23,180 Prayer often deals in the realm of the 445 00:20:23,180 --> 00:20:25,860 impossible and accomplishes it. 446 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:26,440 It's true. 447 00:20:27,780 --> 00:20:30,680 Prayer and faith lead us to heights that 448 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,680 make reason dizzy. 449 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:35,100 And if we have time, we'll try to 450 00:20:35,100 --> 00:20:36,900 mention some of them. 451 00:20:37,220 --> 00:20:40,080 Somebody has said that prayer has divided seas, 452 00:20:40,580 --> 00:20:45,280 rolled up flowing rivers, made flinty rocks gush 453 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:50,220 into fountains, quenched flames of fire, muzzled lions, 454 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:55,460 disarmed vipers and poisons, marshaled the stars against 455 00:20:55,460 --> 00:20:58,500 the wicked, stopped the course of the moon, 456 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,900 arrested the rapid sun in its great race, 457 00:21:02,340 --> 00:21:06,700 burst open the gates, iron gates, recalled souls 458 00:21:06,700 --> 00:21:11,940 from eternity, conquered the strongest devils, commanded legions 459 00:21:11,940 --> 00:21:13,640 of angels down from heaven. 460 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:17,020 What has prayer not done? 461 00:21:17,740 --> 00:21:19,920 Prayer makes the darkest clouds withdraw. 462 00:21:20,740 --> 00:21:24,440 Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw, gives exercise 463 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:28,480 to faith and love, brings every blessing from 464 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:28,920 above. 465 00:21:29,580 --> 00:21:31,880 Restraining prayer, we cease to fight. 466 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,540 Prayer makes the Christian's armor bright. 467 00:21:34,540 --> 00:21:38,860 And Satan trembles when he sees the feeblest 468 00:21:38,860 --> 00:21:42,280 Christian on his knees. 469 00:21:43,020 --> 00:21:43,860 Tremendous. 470 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:48,800 It's fervent prayer that reached the throne of 471 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:49,100 God. 472 00:21:49,180 --> 00:21:50,780 We already read that, didn't we? 473 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,320 In James chapter 5, the effectual fervent prayer 474 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:58,460 of a righteous man avails much. 475 00:21:59,020 --> 00:22:04,640 Cold prayers are like arrows without heads, like 476 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:08,220 swords without edges, like birds without wings. 477 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:10,880 They don't pierce. 478 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:16,860 And cold prayers don't reach the throne. 479 00:22:16,940 --> 00:22:18,960 Somebody has said this and I ask you 480 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:19,660 to consider it. 481 00:22:19,980 --> 00:22:25,480 I consider my effectiveness by the number of 482 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:28,120 people who pray for me and the number 483 00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:28,960 I pray for. 484 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,660 I measure my effectiveness by the number of 485 00:22:31,660 --> 00:22:36,450 people who pray for me and the number 486 00:22:36,450 --> 00:22:37,690 I pray for. 487 00:22:38,610 --> 00:22:40,610 I tell you, one of the greatest joys 488 00:22:40,610 --> 00:22:43,630 to me and one of the greatest encouragements 489 00:22:43,630 --> 00:22:45,270 in the Christian life is when somebody comes 490 00:22:45,270 --> 00:22:46,890 to me and says, I pray for you 491 00:22:46,890 --> 00:22:47,530 every day. 492 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,560 And if anything is accomplished in a ministry 493 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,540 like mine, it's certainly not through me, but 494 00:22:55,540 --> 00:22:58,660 through the prayers of God's people. 495 00:23:00,060 --> 00:23:01,980 I think it's good for us to remember 496 00:23:01,980 --> 00:23:05,240 that prayers, our prayers go to the Father 497 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,160 through the Lord Jesus Christ. 498 00:23:08,260 --> 00:23:10,340 I'd like you to turn to Revelation chapter 499 00:23:10,340 --> 00:23:13,940 8, and especially this might be encouraging to 500 00:23:13,940 --> 00:23:15,300 young fellows and girls. 501 00:23:15,740 --> 00:23:18,080 It has been to me, I'll tell you. 502 00:23:18,540 --> 00:23:21,060 Prayer goes to the Father through the Son 503 00:23:21,060 --> 00:23:22,580 by the Holy Spirit. 504 00:23:23,300 --> 00:23:26,380 Revelation chapter 8, verses 1 through 4. 505 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:27,760 I'm going to read them. 506 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:29,780 When he opened the seventh seal, there was 507 00:23:29,780 --> 00:23:32,080 silence in heaven for about half an hour. 508 00:23:32,500 --> 00:23:34,560 And I saw the seven angels who stood 509 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:36,800 before God, and to them were given seven 510 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:37,220 trumpets. 511 00:23:37,260 --> 00:23:37,640 Here it is. 512 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:41,240 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came 513 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:44,560 and stood at the altar, and he was 514 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,960 given much incense that he should offer it 515 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:48,900 with the prayers of all the saints upon 516 00:23:48,900 --> 00:23:52,020 the golden altar which was before the throne. 517 00:23:52,020 --> 00:23:54,620 And the smoke of the incense with the 518 00:23:54,620 --> 00:23:58,180 prayers of the saints ascended before God from 519 00:23:58,180 --> 00:23:59,600 the angels' hands. 520 00:23:59,980 --> 00:24:02,000 Now, what I'd like to emphasize here, and 521 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,260 especially to our young friends here in the 522 00:24:04,260 --> 00:24:05,080 audience, is this. 523 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:10,060 Sometimes we're hesitant and timid about praying in 524 00:24:10,060 --> 00:24:10,440 public. 525 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:12,260 I say, don't be. 526 00:24:12,940 --> 00:24:13,880 And this is why. 527 00:24:15,970 --> 00:24:19,350 When I pray, my prayers go to the 528 00:24:19,350 --> 00:24:19,930 Lord Jesus. 529 00:24:20,810 --> 00:24:24,590 Incidentally, most Bible students and commentators acknowledge that 530 00:24:24,590 --> 00:24:26,390 the angel in this passage is the Lord 531 00:24:26,390 --> 00:24:27,150 Jesus Christ. 532 00:24:27,750 --> 00:24:28,990 He is the Lord Jesus Christ. 533 00:24:29,570 --> 00:24:31,510 Our prayers go to him, the prayers of 534 00:24:31,510 --> 00:24:32,330 all the saints. 535 00:24:33,170 --> 00:24:34,270 And do you know what he does? 536 00:24:34,490 --> 00:24:37,510 He removes all the impurities from them, and 537 00:24:37,510 --> 00:24:39,370 he adds incense to them. 538 00:24:39,990 --> 00:24:40,470 Incense. 539 00:24:40,770 --> 00:24:41,730 What is the incense? 540 00:24:41,930 --> 00:24:43,990 I think the incense is the fragrance of 541 00:24:43,990 --> 00:24:45,290 his own person and work. 542 00:24:46,650 --> 00:24:48,690 And that's the way my prayers get to 543 00:24:48,690 --> 00:24:48,990 the Father. 544 00:24:48,990 --> 00:24:50,470 Let me give you an illustration. 545 00:24:50,590 --> 00:24:51,850 Here's a young fellow, and he might get 546 00:24:51,850 --> 00:24:53,370 up at the breaking of bread and thank 547 00:24:53,370 --> 00:24:55,530 the Father for dying on the cross of 548 00:24:55,530 --> 00:24:55,990 Calvary. 549 00:24:57,250 --> 00:24:58,890 Well, the Father didn't die on the cross 550 00:24:58,890 --> 00:24:59,450 of Calvary. 551 00:24:59,790 --> 00:25:01,290 The Son died on the cross of Calvary. 552 00:25:01,530 --> 00:25:02,130 That's all right. 553 00:25:02,530 --> 00:25:03,850 When it gets to the Father, it's got 554 00:25:03,850 --> 00:25:05,550 to be all straightened out, that prayer. 555 00:25:06,290 --> 00:25:07,090 It is. 556 00:25:07,290 --> 00:25:08,030 It really is. 557 00:25:08,370 --> 00:25:09,410 That's been a tremendous... 558 00:25:09,410 --> 00:25:10,970 You might get up and just murder the 559 00:25:10,970 --> 00:25:12,230 King's English, you know, and you... 560 00:25:12,230 --> 00:25:13,370 Don't worry about it. 561 00:25:13,670 --> 00:25:15,770 The Lord Jesus picks out all the weeds 562 00:25:15,770 --> 00:25:17,750 out of the bouquet, and when it's presented 563 00:25:17,750 --> 00:25:19,470 to the Father, it's absolutely perfect. 564 00:25:19,790 --> 00:25:21,470 It's better than when it left you, and 565 00:25:21,470 --> 00:25:24,130 it has the incense there, the fragrance of 566 00:25:24,130 --> 00:25:26,590 his own person and work. 567 00:25:26,670 --> 00:25:28,950 Now, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't grow 568 00:25:28,950 --> 00:25:31,310 in our knowledge of the Word of God. 569 00:25:31,370 --> 00:25:34,490 It doesn't mean that we shouldn't improve and 570 00:25:34,490 --> 00:25:38,910 stop asking the Father for thanking him for 571 00:25:38,910 --> 00:25:39,970 dying on the cross. 572 00:25:40,650 --> 00:25:43,130 But I don't think older brethren should jump 573 00:25:43,130 --> 00:25:45,730 a young brother and make him ashamed of 574 00:25:45,730 --> 00:25:48,330 his testimony for Christ and quench the spirit 575 00:25:48,330 --> 00:25:53,010 in him because he makes some theological impropriety 576 00:25:53,010 --> 00:25:53,730 like that. 577 00:25:53,810 --> 00:25:55,670 I say, praise the Lord, when it gets 578 00:25:55,670 --> 00:25:58,230 to the Father, it's all going to be 579 00:25:58,230 --> 00:26:00,230 absolutely perfect. 580 00:26:02,410 --> 00:26:05,090 Prayer is more important to the Lord than 581 00:26:05,090 --> 00:26:05,710 service. 582 00:26:06,730 --> 00:26:08,050 This is a rebuke to me. 583 00:26:08,190 --> 00:26:10,030 I tend to be more of a Martha 584 00:26:10,030 --> 00:26:11,210 than I do a Mary. 585 00:26:11,990 --> 00:26:14,930 But prayer is more important to the Lord 586 00:26:14,930 --> 00:26:15,870 than service. 587 00:26:16,010 --> 00:26:18,790 Somebody said, God sets more value on prayer 588 00:26:18,790 --> 00:26:21,350 and communion than on labor. 589 00:26:22,850 --> 00:26:26,770 The heavenly bridegroom is wooing a wife, not 590 00:26:26,770 --> 00:26:27,870 hiring a servant. 591 00:26:31,340 --> 00:26:36,080 The heavenly bridegroom is wooing a wife, not 592 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,160 hiring a servant. 593 00:26:40,620 --> 00:26:43,740 Next, we honor God by the greatness of 594 00:26:43,740 --> 00:26:44,380 our prayers. 595 00:26:44,380 --> 00:26:46,780 We honor God by the greatness of our 596 00:26:46,780 --> 00:26:47,080 prayers. 597 00:26:47,540 --> 00:26:49,240 You know, Alexander the Great used to hold 598 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,100 open court where any of his people could 599 00:26:51,100 --> 00:26:52,160 come and talk to him. 600 00:26:52,580 --> 00:26:55,340 And one day, a beggar came to make 601 00:26:55,340 --> 00:26:55,980 a request. 602 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:58,360 And Alexander said to him, what do you 603 00:26:58,360 --> 00:26:58,560 want? 604 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:00,640 He said, well, I'd like a farm for 605 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:01,200 myself. 606 00:27:01,860 --> 00:27:03,880 And he said, I'd like a dowry for 607 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:04,600 my daughter. 608 00:27:05,180 --> 00:27:07,720 And he said, I'd like an education for 609 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:08,940 my son. 610 00:27:08,940 --> 00:27:13,000 And Alexander said, the requests are granted. 611 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:16,500 And his aides reproached him. 612 00:27:17,340 --> 00:27:20,840 Here's a saucy beggar coming and making requests 613 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:21,460 like that. 614 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:23,020 And do you know what Alexander said? 615 00:27:23,100 --> 00:27:25,940 He said, I get tired of these people 616 00:27:25,940 --> 00:27:28,940 who come and ask me for a gold 617 00:27:28,940 --> 00:27:29,580 coin. 618 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:33,320 That saucy beggar treated me like a king. 619 00:27:33,660 --> 00:27:34,840 He asked big. 620 00:27:39,330 --> 00:27:41,190 We ought to ask big. 621 00:27:41,190 --> 00:27:44,630 We honor God by the bigness of our 622 00:27:44,630 --> 00:27:45,130 prayers. 623 00:27:45,810 --> 00:27:47,290 I'm sure you've heard that little ditty. 624 00:27:47,750 --> 00:27:50,050 If you had been living when Christ was 625 00:27:50,050 --> 00:27:52,570 on earth and had met the Savior time, 626 00:27:52,710 --> 00:27:53,910 what would you have asked him to do 627 00:27:53,910 --> 00:27:56,270 for you, supposing you were stone blind? 628 00:27:58,090 --> 00:28:00,590 The child considered and then replied, I suppose 629 00:28:00,590 --> 00:28:03,390 that without doubt, I'd have asked the Lord 630 00:28:03,390 --> 00:28:05,530 for a dog with a chain to lead 631 00:28:05,530 --> 00:28:06,370 me daily about. 632 00:28:08,780 --> 00:28:12,220 How often thus in our faithless prayers, we 633 00:28:12,220 --> 00:28:14,080 acknowledge with shame surprise. 634 00:28:15,060 --> 00:28:16,940 We've only asked for a dog with a 635 00:28:16,940 --> 00:28:20,520 chain when we might have had opened eyes. 636 00:28:21,140 --> 00:28:24,080 May the Lord help us to ask big, 637 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:25,460 to come to the Lord. 638 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:27,260 You are coming to a king. 639 00:28:27,700 --> 00:28:30,620 Great petitions with you bring for his love 640 00:28:30,620 --> 00:28:34,320 and power are such we can never ask 641 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:35,620 too much. 642 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,620 When we get to heaven, we're all going 643 00:28:40,620 --> 00:28:42,120 to wish we had prayed more. 644 00:28:43,780 --> 00:28:45,500 And if you go out from this meeting 645 00:28:45,500 --> 00:28:49,360 and you don't have a desire to do 646 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,820 more praying, this meeting has been the flop 647 00:28:51,820 --> 00:28:53,020 of the conference. 648 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:57,200 Really, I mentioned earlier some of the spectacular 649 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,520 things that can be accomplished in prayer. 650 00:29:00,740 --> 00:29:02,660 I just like to tell you, maybe as 651 00:29:02,660 --> 00:29:05,040 time permits a story or two. 652 00:29:05,620 --> 00:29:07,360 Year or two ago, I was down in 653 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,240 Bolivia and met two seasoned missionaries. 654 00:29:10,620 --> 00:29:11,800 Some of you would know some of them. 655 00:29:11,900 --> 00:29:15,380 One was Ned Meharg from Australia. 656 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:18,100 The other is Frank Haggerty from Scotland. 657 00:29:18,860 --> 00:29:22,440 Years ago, these men were doing really rough 658 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:27,080 pioneer work in the, well, in the boondocks 659 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,200 of Bolivia, and their work was bathed in 660 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:30,540 prayer. 661 00:29:31,380 --> 00:29:32,660 It was a dangerous work. 662 00:29:33,180 --> 00:29:36,520 One day, they came to a village and 663 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:39,620 they were hungry, and they pitched camp outside 664 00:29:39,620 --> 00:29:41,360 the village, but they didn't have any food. 665 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:45,020 So they went into the village and they 666 00:29:45,020 --> 00:29:46,660 looked for a place that might have food, 667 00:29:46,740 --> 00:29:48,060 and there was a hotel there, and there 668 00:29:48,060 --> 00:29:49,460 was a restaurant in the hotel. 669 00:29:50,220 --> 00:29:54,240 So they went into the restaurant, and they 670 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:56,120 said to the woman, we'd like something, and 671 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:56,980 she said, I have nothing. 672 00:29:57,100 --> 00:30:00,460 She knew they were evangelicals, and she said, 673 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:01,060 I have nothing. 674 00:30:03,440 --> 00:30:05,280 So they left, and they went to the 675 00:30:05,280 --> 00:30:07,920 local police station, and they said, where could 676 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:08,980 we get some food? 677 00:30:09,660 --> 00:30:11,960 And the policeman said, the restaurant in the 678 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:12,280 hotel. 679 00:30:12,460 --> 00:30:14,000 They said, we were just there, and she 680 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:15,260 said she doesn't have anything. 681 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:17,820 He said, come with me. 682 00:30:18,620 --> 00:30:20,840 He took them back to the hotel, and 683 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:24,580 he said to the woman, get these men 684 00:30:24,580 --> 00:30:25,440 something to eat. 685 00:30:26,620 --> 00:30:28,960 And she said, come back in 45 minutes. 686 00:30:29,780 --> 00:30:32,220 They went back in 45 minutes, and she 687 00:30:32,220 --> 00:30:34,980 had cooked, well, she had deep fried some 688 00:30:34,980 --> 00:30:38,720 potatoes cut into chunks, and she had cooked 689 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:41,980 up a pan of lungs, lungs. 690 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:47,720 They were very, very hungry, especially Ned, and 691 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,480 they began to eat, and Frank, as he 692 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:54,000 ate the lungs, he said, I don't like 693 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:54,300 this. 694 00:30:54,300 --> 00:30:56,720 Well, Ned said, you give me the meat, 695 00:30:57,220 --> 00:30:59,480 and I'll give you my potatoes. 696 00:31:02,140 --> 00:31:03,820 So they started to eat, and as Ned 697 00:31:03,820 --> 00:31:06,060 ate the meat, his stomach began to burn, 698 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:07,940 burn, burn. 699 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:10,840 She had put rat poison in the meat. 700 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:16,700 He began to drink water, and he couldn't 701 00:31:16,700 --> 00:31:17,560 drink enough water. 702 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:19,240 He got sicker and sicker and sicker. 703 00:31:19,460 --> 00:31:21,040 Finally, they had to leave, and they went 704 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,540 back to the campsite, and Ned began to 705 00:31:24,540 --> 00:31:25,600 lose consciousness. 706 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:28,940 Before he lost consciousness, he said to Frank, 707 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:31,580 just send my Bible back to my father 708 00:31:31,580 --> 00:31:32,620 in Australia. 709 00:31:34,940 --> 00:31:36,400 And then he passed out. 710 00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:40,380 They had committed that day to the Lord 711 00:31:40,380 --> 00:31:40,880 in prayer. 712 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:45,020 After he had sunk into unconsciousness, a tall 713 00:31:45,020 --> 00:31:49,000 man appeared on the scene and said, your 714 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:49,900 friend is sick. 715 00:31:50,620 --> 00:31:52,020 He said, he's not only sick, I think 716 00:31:52,020 --> 00:31:52,700 he's dying. 717 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:56,060 He said, I'll be right back. 718 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:58,780 The tall man went, and he came back 719 00:31:58,780 --> 00:32:01,400 with an earthenware vessel filled with goat's milk. 720 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:02,800 He said, get your friend to drink this. 721 00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:04,840 How can I get him to drink it? 722 00:32:05,300 --> 00:32:07,400 He said, force it down his throat. 723 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:12,460 So Frank began forcing the milk down Ned 724 00:32:12,460 --> 00:32:13,320 Meharg's throat. 725 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,940 After a while, Ned opened his eyes. 726 00:32:18,780 --> 00:32:20,300 And as soon as he opened his eyes, 727 00:32:20,420 --> 00:32:21,460 Frank said, here, quick. 728 00:32:21,820 --> 00:32:24,080 He said, drink some of this. 729 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,220 Drink as much as you can of this. 730 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:29,920 And Ned began to drink it. 731 00:32:30,420 --> 00:32:33,680 And after a while, he said, the burning 732 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:34,480 is gone. 733 00:32:35,380 --> 00:32:36,340 And he recovered. 734 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:41,240 They got down on their knees. 735 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,640 They thanked the Lord for his wonderful interposition 736 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:44,280 for them. 737 00:32:45,140 --> 00:32:46,700 And they went on their way. 738 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:48,600 And sometime later, they were back in that 739 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:48,920 area. 740 00:32:49,020 --> 00:32:50,320 And they thought, oh, I should tell you, 741 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,380 they left the earthenware pot there and put 742 00:32:52,380 --> 00:32:54,080 some money under it to thank the man 743 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:55,300 for what he had done. 744 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:01,060 They came back to that area. 745 00:33:01,540 --> 00:33:03,300 And they thought, we'll just look up that 746 00:33:03,300 --> 00:33:04,060 man and thank him. 747 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:05,980 So they said to the nationals there about 748 00:33:05,980 --> 00:33:06,600 this tall man. 749 00:33:06,780 --> 00:33:08,520 They said, there are no tall men here. 750 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:11,400 Well, they said, he came to us with 751 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:14,140 an earthenware vessel filled with goat's milk. 752 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:15,420 They said, there are no goats here. 753 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,440 There was a man at that time serving 754 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,320 the Lord there named Dr. Brown, I think 755 00:33:21,320 --> 00:33:21,960 from New Zealand. 756 00:33:22,380 --> 00:33:25,320 And he told them the name of the 757 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,140 poison that she had put in the meat. 758 00:33:28,140 --> 00:33:30,820 And he said, the best known antidote for 759 00:33:30,820 --> 00:33:32,120 it is goat's milk. 760 00:33:33,860 --> 00:33:34,140 Prayer. 761 00:33:35,260 --> 00:33:36,960 But the more we're cast upon the Lord, 762 00:33:37,460 --> 00:33:40,320 the more we see these wonderful interventions of 763 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:40,620 God.