WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:05.160 Is it possible that the pain you're going through right 2 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:09.720 now is because you did not seek God, but you 3 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:11.640 just went ahead and made a decision without checking in 4 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:16.719 with him. Highly probable. And now God said, I could 5 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:18.679 have saved you a lot of effort if you just 6 00:00:19.079 --> 00:00:22.359 sought me. Just have a conversation with you two or 7 00:00:22.359 --> 00:00:24.839 three times a day and I'll go red light danger, 8 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:29.600 read Will Robinson, that's danger, don't go that direction. Is 9 00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:32.240 it possible, Yes, that pain is because you did not 10 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:33.759 seek God in the past. You made a bunch of 11 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:36.119 dumb decisions, and now you're paying the results of it. 12 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.159 Okay, here's the third step. 13 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:42.399 The third step in prayers that get answered is express 14 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:48.240 my desires with emotion. Express my desires. When I want 15 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:50.119 to ask God for something I'm praying about. God, I 16 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:53.000 need this, whether it's a physical need, a material need, 17 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:56.079 a spiritual need, and emotional need. Whatever you're asking for God, 18 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:00.759 in prayer, you express my emotion my desire with emotion. 19 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:04.079 So many of our prayers are just cut and dried. 20 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:06.239 We just say these words. We don't even know what 21 00:01:06.280 --> 00:01:08.879 we're talking about. We have these little you know, things 22 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:11.799 we've memorized. Now I lay me down to sleep, I 23 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:14.640 pray the Lord my soul to keep you know, And 24 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:16.519 if I should die before I wake, I pray the 25 00:01:16.519 --> 00:01:17.400 Lord my soul. 26 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:20.120 To take That means nothing. It's just little thing. 27 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:22.400 Or you sit down fas it bless this food to 28 00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:24.640 the nourishment of our bodies, the bless the gift and 29 00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:28.000 the giver and it and it's it's not. There's no emotion, 30 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:31.799 there's no authenticity. It's just things you've learned. God doesn't 31 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:36.319 care how beautiful your prayer sounds. In fact, God doesn't 32 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:38.480 even care as much about the words as he cares 33 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:42.120 as much about the emotions. Have you learned that you 34 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:44.480 can say the right words and the wrong emotion and 35 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:49.120 your spouse doesn't get it. Yes, you can say all 36 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:51.439 the right things, but you didn't what do you mean 37 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:55.519 by that because of the tone of your voice? And 38 00:01:55.959 --> 00:02:01.159 so he's saying, God is an emotional God. The only 39 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.879 reason you have emotions, the good ones and the bad ones, 40 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:07.920 is because you're made in God's image. Human beings have 41 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:10.960 emotions that none of the animals have. 42 00:02:11.080 --> 00:02:12.120 We have a whole. 43 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:16.520 Pentopy of emotions because God is an emotional god. The 44 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:20.319 Bible says God gets happy the Bible says God gets sad. 45 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:23.639 He's sad when he sees a rape, when he sees 46 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:26.639 a molestation, when he sees a war. God is sad 47 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:28.840 when he sees what people do to each other out 48 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:33.240 of selfishness. And the Bible says, God gets angry. That's 49 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:35.360 why you can get angry. You're made in God's image. 50 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:39.400 The Bible says, God gets jealous. Why and that's why 51 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:42.039 you get jealous, because when God sees you giving your 52 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:44.960 love to something else instead of him that belongs to him, 53 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:48.759 he gets jealous. The Bible says, God gets frustrated. He 54 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:50.960 looks down and he sees all of the stuff we're doing. 55 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:52.400 He goes, I told you not to do that, and 56 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.280 you're doing it anyway. It's gonna mess you up. He 57 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:57.879 gets frustrated. Now could God change it? Of course, he 58 00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:00.280 could turn us all into puppets. But God's going to 59 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:01.439 just back out of your life. 60 00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:02.360 Have it your way. 61 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:05.080 I'm not going to force you to love me. I'm 62 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:06.639 not going to force you to do the right thing. 63 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:10.879 So you and I make selfish decisions every day, and 64 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:13.240 people get hurt. That's why there's sin, that's why there's 65 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.759 evil in the world because God gives us the freedom 66 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:19.240 to choose. And so God just says, okay, I'll just 67 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:21.639 back off. Let let you reap the results of your 68 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:25.000 own own decision. But God says, I'm an emotional God. 69 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:29.680 Jesus dying on the cross was an emotional scene, highly emotional. 70 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.000 Jesus dying the cross was emotionally agonizing to him. 71 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:36.919 It was agonizing to. 72 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:40.159 God the father watching his son die that way, but 73 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:43.479 doing it for your benefit. It was agonizing with the 74 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:47.400 people who are watching. It's an emotional thing, and God 75 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:50.240 is very emotional about you. Do you realize this? God, 76 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:54.319 just go I love you now. God loves you passionately, emotionally. 77 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:59.439 God has deep, deep, deep feelings for you. How much 78 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.039 he loves you. If you don't know how much you 79 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:03.599 llwed you look at the cross. I'm willing to die. 80 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:07.840 I'm willing to die for you. That's how much God 81 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:11.800 has emotion for you. And so God says, I want 82 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.000 you when I have such emotion for you, I want 83 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:16.920 you to talk to me emotionally. Don't just do these 84 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:18.920 little prayer things where you read a prayer and there's 85 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:23.839 no emotion in it. Let me ask you, does tone 86 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:27.920 make a difference when you make a request. Of course 87 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:31.040 it does, you know. I mean, how about guys, if 88 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:34.519 you had said to your future spouse on a date, 89 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:39.920 you go, EX like you to marry me. Please, I 90 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:42.839 want you to marry me. She go, buddy. If you 91 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:44.759 can't say it with a little bit more passion than that, 92 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:45.600 forget it. 93 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:47.279 That ain't going to happen. 94 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:51.360 Do any of you remember when you were little and 95 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:54.000 somebody was tickling you, and it was fun at the start, 96 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.240 and then it got too much, okay, And. 97 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:00.519 When you wanted to stop taking you go please stop, no, 98 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:04.199 please stop tiggling me. I can't handle it anymore. 99 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:09.000 And you are passionate of passion intensity shows house up 100 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:11.519 much something matters to you now If you ask God 101 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:13.639 about something, God, I really like this, but you're not 102 00:05:13.720 --> 00:05:14.480 passionate about it. 103 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:15.279 God goes, w how. 104 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:17.199 Do I know it's just a if you only pray 105 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:19.160 about it once, you're not willing to pray about it 106 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:21.720 more than once, and you never talk to God about God, I. 107 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:22.240 Really need this. 108 00:05:22.279 --> 00:05:24.319 I gotta have this. You know I've got to have it. 109 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:28.680 Then God goes, what is this a wish or a whim? 110 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:33.399 Or is it really a true? Desire, and so the 111 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:35.600 Bible says this. Here's the third thing Daniel did. 112 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:36.160 Verse three. 113 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:40.279 Second part of it, he says, I began pleading with 114 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:45.680 God earnestly in prayer circle. The word pleading, God listens 115 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.040 to pleading. Makes me think about a story I heard 116 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:52.240 a while back, where as a kid, a young kid 117 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:56.639 who at Christmas time he wanted a Star Wars watch 118 00:05:56.920 --> 00:05:58.680 and it was really cool watch. I had Yoda on it, 119 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:01.519 and he just and so he was bugging his parents, Mom, 120 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:03.879 I want this Star Wars watch for Christmas, Dad, I 121 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:05.639 want this Star Wars watch for Christmas. 122 00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:07.199 He just keeps on and on. 123 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:10.959 And on, every conversation, every meal he's mentioning the Star 124 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:16.399 Wars watch, and finally his dad goes, Johnny, we got it. 125 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:19.959 If you mentioned this one more time, you're not gonna 126 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:20.680 get the watch. 127 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:25.839 Smart kid backs off, doesn't doesn't do anything. 128 00:06:25.920 --> 00:06:31.079 About a week later, they're having the whole family sitting 129 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:33.759 at dinner and the dad says, hey, you know what, 130 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:38.079 it's good for us to talk about the Bible. So 131 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:41.480 everybody just share your your favorite Bible verse, anything or 132 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:44.519 Bible verse that you know you could say. And so 133 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:46.920 one of the kids goes John three sixteen, because everybody 134 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:48.480 knows that one for God still love the world. And 135 00:06:48.519 --> 00:06:52.319 the teenager goes John eleven thirty five. Jesus wept, shortest 136 00:06:52.360 --> 00:06:54.519 verse in the Bible. Anybody can memorize that two words, 137 00:06:54.600 --> 00:06:57.959 Jesus wept. So okay, John John love their right. 138 00:06:58.079 --> 00:06:59.199 Jesus wept. That's his verse. 139 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:02.360 So they go around the room and they come to Johnny, 140 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:05.199 and Johnny goes So they said, Johnny, what's your favorite verse? 141 00:07:05.240 --> 00:07:08.120 He said, well, my favorite verse would be Mark thirteen 142 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:11.879 thirty seven, where Jesus said, I told you once and 143 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:18.639 I sand you again. Watch look at this verse in 144 00:07:18.680 --> 00:07:22.240 the message paraphrase, Daniels nine three says, I poured out 145 00:07:22.279 --> 00:07:25.279 my heart to God, bearing my soul to God. 146 00:07:25.560 --> 00:07:26.800 Have you ever done that? 147 00:07:28.279 --> 00:07:31.279 Have you ever poured out your heart to God? Have 148 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:34.000 you ever bared your soul to God? This is not 149 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:37.920 wimpy week praying. This is got cease praying. This is 150 00:07:38.120 --> 00:07:40.920 gut wrenching praying. I'm pouring out my soul to God. 151 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:41.240 God. 152 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:44.959 I gotta have your help in this business. I gotta 153 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:47.680 have your help in this marriage. I've got to God. 154 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:51.439 I am telling you, I'm pouring out my heart I am. 155 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:54.399 I am being authentic. I'm baring my soul. It's kind 156 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:56.759 of like Jacob wrestling with the Angel. I'm not gonna 157 00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:02.600 let go until you bless me God. Now, when was 158 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:05.199 the last time you ever prayed like that, pouring out 159 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:06.959 your soul to God emotionally? 160 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:08.600 I can tell you. 161 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:10.560 You may have forgotten, but I can tell you the 162 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:13.199 last time you prayed like that, As your pastor friend, 163 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:16.040 spiritual coach, the last time you prayed like that. 164 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.240 Is when you were in deep, deep pain. 165 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:22.560 Because we don't pour out our hearts to God like 166 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:26.079 that when we're things are going great and we're skipping. 167 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:27.639 The hills of Jerusalem picking flowers and. 168 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:31.920 Talking about peace, love and Bobby Sherman, you know, just 169 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:35.519 to have a happy day, smiling faith. No, you pour 170 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:39.799 out your God when you are in deep pain? Is 171 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:42.080 that the only time you pour out your heart to 172 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:43.399 God when you're in deep pain? 173 00:08:43.639 --> 00:08:45.039 Can you do it any other time? 174 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.759 This is called praying with emotion, called quote crying out 175 00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:53.759 to God. Someday you may want to do a study 176 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:56.080 of this in the Bible, about all the times God 177 00:08:56.120 --> 00:08:59.519 talks about quote crying out to God. There are many 178 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:02.200 many Euss samples of people of all sorts who cried 179 00:09:02.200 --> 00:09:04.720 out to God and God heard their prayer. There are 180 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:08.679 many many promises in the Bible about crying out. God 181 00:09:08.759 --> 00:09:12.159 does not listen to just complaints. He listens to crying 182 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:16.240 out in emotion to God, saying God, I really need 183 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:20.440 your help. Now, it says Daniel, he said he was pleading. 184 00:09:20.519 --> 00:09:23.360 He's crying out. What is he pleading? What is Daniel 185 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:25.519 pleading with God about? He's going God, I want to 186 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:29.799 go back home. I'm an old man. I'm eighty five 187 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:33.759 years old. I spent my entire life serving pagan kings. 188 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:37.320 I've done good. I stayed true, kept my integrity in 189 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:40.519 a pagan world. I didn't deny my faith, and I 190 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:43.279 kept getting promoted. I'm pretty influential guy in the whole 191 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:45.279 kingdom here. But God, I want to go back home. 192 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:48.360 I really I'm going to go. I'm going to die 193 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:51.519 in my home country now. Jeremiah, the other guy at 194 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:55.720 the same time, had predicted that after seventy years, Babylon 195 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:58.919 would fall, and that then the people of God in 196 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:01.799 Babylon would start praying and pleading God let us go 197 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:04.679 back home. Here's what it says, Jeremiah chapter fifty. This 198 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:09.919 was his prediction. He says, then my people will join 199 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:15.279 together in tears. That's emotional praying. They'll join together in 200 00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:19.440 tears to seek the Lord. And they will ask the 201 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:22.039 way to Jerusalem. What because it had been seventy years, 202 00:10:22.039 --> 00:10:23.720 they didn't even know how to get back home. They 203 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:27.399 will ask the way to Jerusalem, and then we'll start 204 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:33.919 back home again. That is one of the most beautiful 205 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:37.120 phrases of hope in the Bible. They will start back 206 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:45.919 home again. America needs to do that and needs to 207 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:50.200 start back home again, and other nations need to do that. 208 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:54.240 They need to start back home again. You may need 209 00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:57.879 to do this personally. I need to start back home again. 210 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:00.559 And maybe you've been so far away from God for 211 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:02.480 so long you don't even know how to get back 212 00:11:02.519 --> 00:11:03.360 to Jerusalem. 213 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:04.679 I don't even know how to get back. 214 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:09.399 I've been so disconnected, disc combobulated and apart from God. 215 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:10.080 I don't even know. 216 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:12.039 And so what do you do? 217 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:15.600 You plead, you pour out your heart. You joined together 218 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:18.639 in tears. When does God answer that kind of prayer? 219 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:34.039 When God's people join together in tears. I know many 220 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:36.639 of you use the daily Hope devotionals as part of 221 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:39.639 your regular Bible study. And so I want to share 222 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:43.639 some exciting news. We've put three hundred and sixty five 223 00:11:44.120 --> 00:11:47.480 of the best devotionals into a brand new book that 224 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:52.679 we're calling the Daily Hope Devotional Purpose, Peace and Promise 225 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:55.960 for every Day. This devotional book is designed with clear, 226 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:59.639 practical biblical teaching to help you make knowing God your 227 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:02.759 numberumber one priority. I believe it will help you stay 228 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:05.600 focused on God throughout the day as He provides you 229 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:11.840 with real purpose, lasting peace, and his unfailing promises. Imagine 230 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:15.360 starting every day like that. This book is a great 231 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:17.320 way to share the hope you have in Jesus with 232 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:19.759 your friends, coworkers, and relatives. 233 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:22.120 I hope you'll get a copy for everyone you know. 234 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:25.960 Be sure and request your copy when you partner with 235 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:28.519 Daily Hope to take the word of God to a 236 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:29.480 hurting world. 237 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:38.000 Okay, here's the fourth thing. Here's the fourthie. There's six keys. 238 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:43.840 Number four. I need to demonstrate my seriousness. When you're 239 00:12:43.879 --> 00:12:47.000 praying about something, you need to signal to God that 240 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:50.080 you mean business about this, that it's not just a 241 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:53.039 little whim, it's not just a casual thought. But you're 242 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:56.080 really serious about this. You want to let God see 243 00:12:56.120 --> 00:13:01.879 how important whatever you're praying about is to you. Now. Daniel, 244 00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:04.960 in the next part of this verse, mentions three ways 245 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:08.360 he shows he signals his seriousness to God. Two of 246 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:12.120 them were cultural customs, which we don't do in America 247 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:15.639 or anywhere I think today. But one of them is 248 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:18.480 a spiritual discipline that had been going on for centuries 249 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.279 and thousands of years, and people still do it today. 250 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:24.200 Here's what he says in verse three, the third part 251 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:28.399 of the verse. He said, I started fasting, which means 252 00:13:28.480 --> 00:13:32.080 he's going without food. That's a spiritual discipline. He said, 253 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:36.440 I started fasting and went without food, and to show 254 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:40.480 my sadness, to demonstrate my seriousness, I put on rough 255 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:43.720 clothes and sat in ashes. Now nobody does this today. 256 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:48.440 This is called sackcloth and ashes, and it was done 257 00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:50.440 for hundreds and hundreds of years in the Middle East 258 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:53.080 and in the Orient. I don't know that anybody does 259 00:13:53.080 --> 00:13:57.440 this today. Jesus said, there are some miracles that happen 260 00:13:57.559 --> 00:14:01.960 only by prayer and fasting, not by prayer alone. Why, 261 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:04.320 because it says God, I'm super serious about this. I'm 262 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:08.679 super serious enough to go without food that's how discipline 263 00:14:08.840 --> 00:14:13.000 and serious I am about this prayer request. Moses fasted 264 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:17.080 before he received the Ten Commandments. The Israelite fasted from 265 00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:21.440 before they went into many, many major battles. Daniel fasted 266 00:14:21.440 --> 00:14:24.679 in order to receive guidance from God. Neamiah fasted before 267 00:14:24.679 --> 00:14:28.559 he began a major building project. You should too, business guy. 268 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:33.440 Jesus fasted and victory over temptation. The very first Christians 269 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:38.039 fasted during decision making times in their life. We'll I'll 270 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:39.799 teach a whole lot more about this, but this is 271 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:42.960 the point of simply saying, I demonstrate my seriousness. 272 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:43.759 Okay. Number five. 273 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:48.600 The fifth thing, Thank God for his love and promises. 274 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:53.960 Thank God for his love and promises. The Bible says, 275 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:59.639 when you ask, ask with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not a holiday. 276 00:15:00.200 --> 00:15:03.279 If you're a believer, it's the attitude of your entire life. 277 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:07.440 You are to live with the attitude of gratitude. And 278 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:10.840 the fifth thing Daniel does in his prayer is he 279 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:13.840 reminds himself of how good God is, how gracious God is, 280 00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:16.720 and how grateful he is to God. Daniel ninety four. 281 00:15:16.919 --> 00:15:19.679 Then I prayed to the Lord, and I said, Lord, 282 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:25.559 you are great you are an awesome God. You always 283 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:27.960 fulfill your promises. You keep your word, you say it, 284 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:30.879 you keep your word. You always fulfill your promises of 285 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:36.039 constant love. And I'm flaky, you're not. I'm unfaithful to you, 286 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:39.159 but you're not unfaithful to me. You keep your promises 287 00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:41.679 of concile love to those who love you, and keep 288 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:45.360 your commands down in Verse ninety says, and even though 289 00:15:45.399 --> 00:15:49.279 we have rebelled against you, you Lord are merciful and forgiving. You. 290 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:53.679 Just tell God, God, I'm grateful that you're God, and 291 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:57.200 I'm not God. I'm grateful that you're loving, You're forgiving 292 00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:01.559 your good You're merciful, and so you thank God for 293 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:04.279 his love and his promises. And then number six, the 294 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:10.159 sixth thing do you do? Is you humbly confess? I 295 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:16.000 humbly confess my sins. Confess just means to admit, that's 296 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:18.320 all it means. The word confessed in Greek is the 297 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:24.840 word homo lookgeo homo meaning same homosexual, Homo sapien homogenized 298 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:30.000 milk means same homo look geo means to speak the same. 299 00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:32.840 To confess means I just agree. You're right God. That's wrong. 300 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:37.399 I agree with you. Got I was wrong, you were right. 301 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:42.799 And that's what confession is. And so God responds to humility. 302 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:47.679 When I'm prideful, God didn't hear my prayers. Man, God, 303 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:51.240 prideful prayers. God resists the proud, the Bible says, but 304 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:53.120 gives grace to the humble. 305 00:16:53.279 --> 00:16:56.840 But when I go God, I really blew it. In fact, I've. 306 00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:59.440 Been blown it for a long time. And let me 307 00:16:59.480 --> 00:17:02.639 tell you it's specifically how I'm blowing it. Daniel gets 308 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:05.519 very very specific in confessing. I just wrote some of 309 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:07.160 the verses. I'm just going to read them to you 310 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:09.839 and not even comment. And I want you to circle 311 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:12.839 the verbs which are the sins. Okay, He says, we've 312 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:15.880 sinned none wrong. Then he says, we've rebelled against you. 313 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:20.440 That's one rebelled circle that we've rebelled against you. He says, 314 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:26.000 we've ignored your commands, circle ignored. He says, we've rejected 315 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:30.559 your laws. We made up our own morality. We've rejected 316 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.640 your laws. He says, we have refused to listen to 317 00:17:33.720 --> 00:17:38.160 your servants. The prophets refused who spoke the message to 318 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:40.960 our kings and our leaders and our parents and everybody 319 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:43.880 else in our nation. He says, this is very specific. 320 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:46.960 We're all at faultier every generation. It's not like one 321 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:50.319 generation in America. Every generation's got part of the blame. 322 00:17:51.160 --> 00:17:52.960 And then in verse seven and eight, he says this, 323 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:57.359 we've brought disgrace and shame on ourselves as a nation 324 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:00.559 because we've been unfaithful to you. You know what, God, 325 00:18:00.759 --> 00:18:03.920 We've committed spiritual adultery. We gave our love to somebody 326 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:05.519 else when we're supposed to give our love to you. 327 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:08.359 We've been unfaithful to you. 328 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:11.200 And he said, this is true of all of us, 329 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:16.279 including our kings, our leaders, and our parents. He said, 330 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:19.400 we next verse verse ten, we paid no attention to 331 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:22.039 you when you told us how to live. You told 332 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:24.880 us what's right and wrong, what's morally good, what's not. 333 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:28.839 So this clear teaching came through your promise verse thirteen, 334 00:18:28.920 --> 00:18:31.519 but we kept on sinning. We never gave you a 335 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:36.240 second thought. We were oblivious to you the clear warnings. 336 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:40.960 So God, he says that you had no choice but 337 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:45.599 to let disaster loose in our nation on us, since 338 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:50.680 we persistently and defiantly ignored you. And then he sums 339 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.720 it all up in verse sixteen, and he says, and 340 00:18:52.759 --> 00:19:01.200 now all the other nations, mock us. Does any of 341 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:06.039 this sound vaguely familiar to you? I just read you 342 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:10.079 a laundry list of America. I just read you the 343 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:16.720 last fifty years of America right there. Now, Daniel knows 344 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:21.599 we don't deserve God's blessing, but he casts himself on 345 00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:23.880 the grace of God. He goes, God, we could never 346 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.039 earn this, we could never deserve this. We don't deserve 347 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:28.839 to get back to home, get back to you. We 348 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:32.079 don't deserve your blessing. But I'm going to cast myself 349 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:34.799 on your mercy. And in the next verse he says this, 350 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:42.839 Oh God, Oh God, listen to me. Hear my request. 351 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:48.960 We don't ask because we deserve out We don't. We 352 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:53.440 don't ask because we deserve, but because you are so merciful. 353 00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:58.359 You are a You're a good, good father, and you 354 00:19:58.400 --> 00:19:59.200 are merciful. 355 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:03.119 How does God respond to this kind of prayer, the 356 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:06.599 six things that we just taught you. Well, in verse twenty, 357 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:11.400 here's how God responds. Daniel says, well, I kept on praying. 358 00:20:11.480 --> 00:20:13.400 Let me stop right there circle the phrase kept on. 359 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:17.759 Daniel didn't pray this prayer one time. He's prying it 360 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:21.240 over and over and over and over. God, I need 361 00:20:21.279 --> 00:20:22.880 your help. He's praying this over and over. 362 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:24.680 He said. I kept on praying. 363 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:26.359 If you don't you pray about something one time, you 364 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:29.480 don't care about it, he says. While I kept on 365 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:34.240 praying and confessing my sins and confessing the sins of 366 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:38.799 my people and pleading with the Lord. He's emotional in this. 367 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:44.480 Suddenly the angel Gabriel appeared in my vision. Now you 368 00:20:44.519 --> 00:20:49.240 guys know who Gabriel is. There are three arch angels. 369 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:53.319 There was Lucifer, he fell, he became Satan. There's Michael, 370 00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:56.960 and there's Gabriel. Gabriel's the guy who shows up at Christmas. 371 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:57.359 Hello. 372 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:01.920 So I actually know the names of these guys. And 373 00:21:02.200 --> 00:21:06.759 this is so important that God sends the angel Gabriel 374 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:10.920 in a vision to Daniel, and he says, suddenly, while 375 00:21:10.920 --> 00:21:13.279 I'm doing all this praying, the Angel Gabriel peared in 376 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:17.839 my vision and said this, Daniel, I've been sent, obviously 377 00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:24.160 by God. I've been sent to help you understand God's plan. Now, 378 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:28.200 the moment you began praying, the answer was given, and 379 00:21:28.279 --> 00:21:32.240 I'm here to tell it to you. For God loves 380 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:38.920 you very much. Now, God doesn't have to send Gabriel 381 00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:41.079 to me, and he doesn't have to send Gabriel to 382 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:43.359 you because we have the second half of the Bible 383 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:46.359 that was written that tells us all about Jesus, and 384 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:48.400 so I can tell you right now what God will. 385 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.240 Say to you. I love you very very very very 386 00:21:51.359 --> 00:21:55.160 very very much. I feel very very deeply have deep 387 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:55.880 feelings for you. 388 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:59.400 God says, I saw you born, I saw you grow, 389 00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:02.279 I saw it hurts, I saw the happy times sat 390 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:05.119 I've seen everything in your life. And I have a 391 00:22:05.160 --> 00:22:07.519 plan for your life, and I have a timetable for 392 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:11.319 your life. And when you start praying, I heard that prayer, 393 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:14.799 and I want to help you understand my plan for 394 00:22:14.839 --> 00:22:20.200 your life because I love you very very much. Now 395 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.359 you say, well, wait a minute, Rick, this is God 396 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:23.200 talking to Daniel. 397 00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:26.480 I'm not Daniel. No, You're not neither am I. But 398 00:22:26.599 --> 00:22:28.559 I know this prayer will work for you. 399 00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:30.480 And the reason I know it will work for you 400 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:34.079 is because the exact same formula is given in another 401 00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:36.599