WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.920 --> 00:00:06.639 We're now coming to the last message about Daniel, and 2 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:10.880 in chapter nine we learn how to pray the kind 3 00:00:10.919 --> 00:00:13.519 of prayer that God answers. I mean, if you're going 4 00:00:13.560 --> 00:00:15.199 to pray, you may as well get a prayer that 5 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:17.640 God's going to answer. You've prayed a lot of prayers 6 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:20.199 that God did not answer, So how do you pray 7 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:24.079 the kind of prayer that God answers? In this passage, 8 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:26.239 we're actually going to look at how to pray in 9 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:29.559 a crisis. Now. I hope you're not in a crisis 10 00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:33.759 right now, but you will be someday. So you need 11 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:36.240 to take notes because someday you're going to where are 12 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:37.679 those notes of Rick told me how to pray in 13 00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:40.159 a crisis? And you're going to want to come back 14 00:00:40.200 --> 00:00:43.280 to this to do what God tells you to do. 15 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:46.039 Let's get right into it. There's six steps we see 16 00:00:46.119 --> 00:00:48.679 modeled in Daniel's life and in the prayer in this 17 00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:50.880 chapter on how to pray a prayer that God answers. 18 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.240 Number one, here's the first step. Let God speak to 19 00:00:54.280 --> 00:00:58.920 me before I speak to him. Let God speak to 20 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:03.240 me before I speak to him. This is called the 21 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:07.840 listening step. You listen to the voice of God, how 22 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.400 do you do that? Well, I'm going to explain it, 23 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:12.120 but there's a principle you need to understand first, and 24 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:16.400 it's this. God always makes the first move in your life. 25 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:20.840 You don't. God is always the initiator of everything in 26 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:25.439 your life, and you are the responder. God never expects 27 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:28.519 you to make the first move. He always makes the 28 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:32.000 first move. The Bible says that we love him. We 29 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:35.519 love God because He first loved us. God loved you 30 00:01:35.560 --> 00:01:39.159 a whole long time before you ever loved him. The 31 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:43.560 Bible says that we serve God because God first served us, 32 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:46.959 and he knew we had a problem, and he sent 33 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:49.439 Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us, long 34 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:52.200 before we even knew we had a problem. He served 35 00:01:52.280 --> 00:01:55.760 us before we served him. The Bible says we give 36 00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:59.239 to God because God first gave to us. Everything you 37 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:01.319 have in your life is gift of God. The air 38 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:04.079 you breathe, your life, your mind, your brain, everything you've 39 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:07.480 got is a gift from God. God will never ask 40 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:09.639 you to do something he hasn't already done for you. 41 00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:15.919 God never asked you to do something that he goes. Now, personally, 42 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:18.039 I've never done this, but I'm expecting you to do it. 43 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:24.039 God always initiates, we always respond, and that's even true 44 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:27.199 with prayer. The reason we pray, the reason we talk 45 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:30.520 to God, is because God has first talked to us 46 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:34.639 in this book. In this book, the Bible, written over 47 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:39.159 three five hundred plus years, sixty six different authors that 48 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:41.560 God inspired to write these words down that He wanted 49 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:45.400 written down. There are literally thousands and thousands of promises 50 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:50.400 from God to you, to you, and what we do 51 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:53.960 in prayer is we claim the promises that He has 52 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:56.599 said to us. He said, God, you said this, so 53 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:58.800 I'm asking you to do this. And God, you said that, 54 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:02.360 so I'm asking you to do that. So the Bible 55 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:05.360 says that prayer actually starts not with talking, but with listening. 56 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.400 You listen to God. Now, how do you listen to 57 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:13.680 God by reading this book or if you don't like 58 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:16.759 to read, listening to the Bible on tape or MP 59 00:03:16.840 --> 00:03:20.759 three or whatever. Logically, you need to let God talk 60 00:03:20.840 --> 00:03:22.879 to you. Then you're going to know how to pray, 61 00:03:22.879 --> 00:03:24.680 what to pray, where to pray, when to pray, and 62 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:28.840 all those things. Daniel did this. Now as we start 63 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:32.479 this chapter nine, Daniel's an old guy now he's eighty 64 00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:36.159 five years old. We started in the very first session 65 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:38.639 on Daniel. He's fifteen years old, the prisoner of war. 66 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:42.560 He's now gone through multiple changes in his life. Test 67 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:45.719 after test after test after test. He keeps getting promoted, 68 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:49.840 higher in authority, higher in power. He's now served three 69 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:54.759 different kings. And we know that the Babylonians defeated the Syrians, 70 00:03:55.120 --> 00:03:59.759 and then the Persians defeated the Babylonians, and so now 71 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:03.919 he's got a new boss. He survived every administration and 72 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:06.439 no matter what the government was going on around him, 73 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:10.439 he keeps getting promoted, but he wants to go home 74 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:13.919 before he dies. He's eighty five years old, and he 75 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:16.279 knows that God had said in the Book of Jeremiah 76 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:19.680 that you'll be and drew in Babylon for seventy years 77 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:22.560 and then I'm going to bring my people back to Israel. 78 00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:26.199 And he knows times up. But he also knows that 79 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:31.399 the people israel lights have not turned back to God. 80 00:04:31.480 --> 00:04:33.759 Seventy years later. They're still as messed up as they 81 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:36.959 were before. And he goes, We're not any closer to 82 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:39.319 God than we were seventy years ago. And I'm afraid 83 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:42.279 God's just going to leave us here in Babylon and 84 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:46.519 not bring us back to Israel. So this is his crisis, 85 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:52.319 and here's how it starts. Daniel, Chapter nine, verse one. 86 00:04:54.040 --> 00:04:56.839 It was the first year the reign of Darius the Mead, 87 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:00.480 who was made king of Babylon. The Babylonians vice Cyrus, 88 00:05:00.519 --> 00:05:04.480 who was a Persian. You know, Babylon is Iraq, Persia 89 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:07.600 is Iran today, And he says, during the first year 90 00:05:07.639 --> 00:05:13.199 of his reign, I Daniel was studying the scriptures, and 91 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:17.079 I learned from the word of the Lord, as recorded 92 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:22.079 by Jeremiah the Prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for 93 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:25.120 seventy years. It was destroyed, and they said it won't 94 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:27.319 be rebuilt until after seventy years. You guys get to 95 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:29.399 go back home. Now. I want you to circle, if 96 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:33.600 you're taking notes, circle the phrase studying the scripture, and 97 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:38.360 circle the phrase learned from the word, study the scriptures, 98 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:43.600 learn from the Word. You will never pray effectively until 99 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:46.120 you study the scriptures and you learn from the Word, 100 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:50.399 until you get into this book every single day. Now, 101 00:05:50.399 --> 00:05:53.519 the more you know this book, the Bible, the more 102 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:56.360 prayers you're going to have answered. If you're ignorant of 103 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:58.519 this book. You don't know how to pray, You don't 104 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:00.319 know what to pray, you don't know when to pray. 105 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:02.720 You don't know the promises that God has made to you. 106 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:05.360 And so you got to read a little bit of 107 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:07.959 this book every single day of your life so you 108 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.680 can learn those promises that God has made to you. 109 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:14.000 Let me show you this. Here's what Jesus said up 110 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:17.199 here on the screen. In John chapter fifteen. Jesus said, 111 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:22.519 if you stay connected to me and my words remain 112 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:26.000 in your heart. What's he talking about? The Bible? He says, 113 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:28.839 these words remain in your heart. He says, if you 114 00:06:29.079 --> 00:06:34.279 follow those two conditions, you may ask any request you 115 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:38.759 want in prayer and it will be given to you. 116 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:42.560 Jesus Christ, Whoh, that's pretty much a blank check right there. 117 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:45.439 You can ask whatever you want in prayer and it'll 118 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:50.279 be given to you. Now, he says, notice this verse. 119 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:54.120 If I'm praying and I'm not getting an answer, the 120 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:56.399 first thing I need to check is am I meeting 121 00:06:56.439 --> 00:07:00.120 these two conditions? Am I staying connected to God God? 122 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:03.600 Is there anything between me and you that's out a whack? 123 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:07.079 Is there any fellowship broken? Is there something in my 124 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.600 life that I know is wrong, and you know it's wrong, 125 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:10.839 and you said for me to get right, and I 126 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:13.519 haven't got it right yet. That is a break in 127 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.160 the connection with God. But he said, if you stay 128 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:19.319 connected to me, you're in harmony with me. And he says, 129 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:22.680 my words, this book is in your mind, it's in 130 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:26.120 your heart. You ask anything you want in prayer and 131 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:28.839 it will be done. So if I'm not getting the answer, 132 00:07:28.920 --> 00:07:30.639 that's one of the two problems. That's one of the 133 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:36.720 two conditions that need to be met. So Daniel is saying, 134 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:38.480 I'm going to study the word. I'm going to have 135 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:40.480 it in me. The more you fill your mind with 136 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:43.959 this book, the more you memorize some like Bible verses, 137 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:47.319 the more answers you're going to have in your life. Now, 138 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:50.720 this is so important to your life that I want 139 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:53.040 to help you. I want to help you develop the 140 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:55.800 habit of you never go to bed any day of 141 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.360 your life without us spending at least a little bit 142 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:01.839 of time, even if it's a minute or two minutes, 143 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:04.920 reading a little bit of the Bible and then talking 144 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:08.000 to God for a minute or two or whatever. Now, 145 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:10.759 last week we saw that Daniel did this three times 146 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:13.240 a day. He had the habit, And I said, you 147 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:16.040 think your life would be any different if you had 148 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:20.600 a conversation with God three times a day your entire life, 149 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:24.079 which he did for over seventy years. Well, no wonder 150 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:26.120 he missed a lot of problems. No wonder he knew 151 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:28.319 how to be wise. No wonder he get kept, gotten promoted. 152 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:31.759 He's talking to God every day. I do this all 153 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:35.200 the time as I go through my day. I don't 154 00:08:35.320 --> 00:08:37.399 talk to God once a day. I talk to God 155 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:39.679 all the time. And as I'm getting ready to go 156 00:08:39.720 --> 00:08:41.639 into meeting, I go, Okay, God, I'm going to need 157 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:44.279 your guidance in here. I don't know what you want 158 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:45.519 to say to these people. I don't know what they 159 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:46.639 want to say to me. I don't know what the 160 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.720 problem is. Help me to know the right thing. I'm 161 00:08:50.759 --> 00:08:53.559 depending on you to give me the wisdom, the guidance 162 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:55.559 and the power to do what it is. And I 163 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:57.080 got out of that meeting a little The next thing, 164 00:08:57.399 --> 00:09:00.480 and the whole day. One of my prayers is often 165 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:04.039 two words, what's next? What's the next? Lord? What do 166 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:07.279 you want to do? And I'm always seeking God, checking 167 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:10.039 in with him. Now I want to teach you this 168 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:13.480 habit of having a little bit of daily reading the 169 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:18.240 Bible and praying, talking to God two or three times 170 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:21.320 a day, at least three times a day, because it 171 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:28.679 will revolutionize your life. Men, it'll make you a strong man. 172 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:35.159 It'll make you more confident. It'll make you less fearful. 173 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.799 Same thing. Women, It'll make you a stronger woman. It'll 174 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:41.240 make you more confident, it will make you less fearful. 175 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:45.279 If you will develop a habit of multiple times a 176 00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:47.480 day you have a conversation with God, you let him 177 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:49.960 talk to you, and you talk to him, you will 178 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:54.000 handle your stress better. It will improve every single area 179 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:57.879 of your life. I guarantee it. I've done a lot 180 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:00.960 of hard things in my life. I've taken a lot 181 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:05.200 of risks. I've fought a lot of battles. I faced 182 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:08.679 a lot of critics. I've done a lot of difficulties. 183 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:10.919 I've been in situations you would not want to be 184 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:14.000 in and have to handle with other people's lives. I've 185 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.879 handled a lot of problems and men in a lot 186 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:19.960 of battles. But the most difficult battle I face as 187 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:24.159 a man is the battle to consistently have a conversation 188 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:27.960 with God. And read His word every day of my life. 189 00:10:28.279 --> 00:10:32.440 No battle comes close. Weak men don't do this, Weak 190 00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:36.000 women don't do this. It's only it's a test of 191 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:39.080 your character. Do you have the character and the stamina 192 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:41.000 to do this? Spend time? A little bit of time 193 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.399 every day with God, not a lot of time. Now, 194 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:46.279 why is it so difficult? Because Satan knows that if 195 00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:48.519 he wins this battle, he's won every other one in 196 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:52.960 your life. This is the lynchpin. This is it. If 197 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.480 you win in this area, you're going to win in all. 198 00:10:55.320 --> 00:11:08.320 The other areas of your life. 199 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:10.759 I know many of you use the Daily Hope Devotionals 200 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:13.799 as part of your regular Bible study, and so I 201 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:17.519 want to share some exciting news. We've put three hundred 202 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:21.480 and sixty five of the best devotionals into a brand 203 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:26.399 new book that we're calling the Daily Hope Devotional, Purpose, Peace, 204 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:30.360 and Promise for every Day. This devotional book is designed 205 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:33.879 with clear, practical biblical teaching to help you make knowing 206 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:37.200 God your number one priority. I believe it will help 207 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:39.840 you stay focused on God throughout the day as he 208 00:11:39.879 --> 00:11:44.639 provides you with real purpose, lasting peace, and his unfailing promises. 209 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:50.000 Imagine starting every day like that this book is a 210 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.080 great way to share the hope you have in Jesus 211 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:55.320 with your friends, co workers, and relatives. I hope you'll 212 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:56.960 get a copy for everyone you know. 213 00:11:58.279 --> 00:12:00.840 Be sure in request your copy when you partner with 214 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:03.360 Daily Hope to take the word of God to a 215 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:08.200 hurting world. 216 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:14.399 In chapter one, Daniel is worried about the crisis in 217 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:19.879 his life, and so he starts reading this book by Jeremiah. 218 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:23.919 Now here's the thing. Daniel and Jeremiah are contemporaries. They 219 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:28.159 lived at the same time when Babylon crushed Israel. Daniel's 220 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:31.799 taking a captive for prisoner a ward at Babylon. Jeremiah 221 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:35.639 is left behind in a defeated, broken city called Jerusalem. 222 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:39.039 And in Jeremiah's book, God tells him those guys are 223 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:42.200 going to be there for seventy years. And Daniel reads 224 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:44.639 this and he starts getting hope. Here's what you want 225 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:47.240 to know what Daniel read. It's the next verse Jeremiah 226 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:50.240 chapter twenty nine, when he said I was studying the scripture. 227 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:54.600 Here's what he was studying. God says this to you. 228 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:58.080 You will be kept in Babylon for seventy years, but 229 00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:02.320 then I'll keep my graatious promise to bring you back 230 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:06.840 to your home again. For I know the plans I 231 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:10.559 have for you, says the Lord. I have good plans 232 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:14.679 for you, not plans for your disaster. My plans will 233 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:18.600 give you hope and a future. And in those days 234 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:23.399 when you pray, I will listen. Now. If you've been 235 00:13:23.399 --> 00:13:25.480 around church for an length time, you know that verse. 236 00:13:25.960 --> 00:13:27.679 In fact, we even got a song about it. I 237 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:29.840 know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, 238 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:32.720 plans to prosper for you, not to harm you. God says, 239 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:34.559 I have a plan for your life. It's a plan 240 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:36.799 for your success. It's not a plan for your defeat. 241 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:38.879 It's a good plan. It'll give you hope, it'll give 242 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:41.759 you a future. God says this to you. We know 243 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:44.679 that verse, but we often leave off the last phrase, 244 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:50.440 which says, in those days when you pray, I will listen. 245 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:50.720 Now. 246 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.840 I want you to listen very carefully. God says this 247 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:57.159 to you this weekend. I made you for a purpose. 248 00:13:57.759 --> 00:13:59.799 I have a plan for your life. But it's not all. 249 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:04.240 You can miss it. You can miss my plan and 250 00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:06.480 purpose for your life. In fact, most people miss God's plan 251 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:10.039 and purpose for their life. He said, there are two factors. 252 00:14:10.080 --> 00:14:12.240 I've promised to rescue you. I'm going to bring you 253 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:14.480 back home. I'm going to do the things you need 254 00:14:14.519 --> 00:14:16.679 done in your life. But he says, there are two 255 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:20.519 factors involved in you fulfilling your purpose in life. Write 256 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:27.080 these down. God's timing and my praying. God's timing and 257 00:14:27.320 --> 00:14:31.200 my praying, and both of these have an important role 258 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:34.399 in what God wants to do in your life. God's 259 00:14:34.440 --> 00:14:37.840 timing when he's going to do it, and you're praying 260 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:41.399 when you ask him to do it. Both of these 261 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:45.000 are extremely important. So let me explain what that verse 262 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:48.440 just said. In Jeremiah, God says this, I got a 263 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:51.039 plan for you your life. I didn't make you without 264 00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:53.639 a purpose. I created you for a purpose and plan. 265 00:14:53.960 --> 00:14:56.600 And my plan for you is good. But it has 266 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:00.480 a time table. And he says to these guys specifically, 267 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:02.480 he says, I'm not going to cut short my plan. 268 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:07.200 You're going to be in Babylon for seventy years, he said, 269 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:09.120 But and I'm not going to cut it short one 270 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:12.039 day short. You're not coming home one day sooner. You're 271 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:14.200 going to be there for seventy years. So that's my plan, 272 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:17.360 and that's my attention, but don't worry. It's a good plan. 273 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:21.519 But he says, when the time is right for me 274 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.600 to fulfill your plan, you're all going to go back home. 275 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:27.440 Then you're going to have to do something. You're going 276 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:30.440 to have to pray, and he says, and when you pray, 277 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.720 I will listen. Now, I want you to notice this. 278 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:36.679 This is a very important verse in the Bible. Here 279 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:41.480 we see God's sovereignty. He's in control and your responsibility. 280 00:15:41.559 --> 00:15:44.799 You got something to do. God determines the timing of 281 00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:48.080 his plan and purpose for your life. But when the 282 00:15:48.120 --> 00:15:50.039 timing is right, you're still going to have to play 283 00:15:50.039 --> 00:15:52.120 it pray, because He's not going to do it until 284 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:56.080 you ask. He's not going to force his plan on you. Ever, 285 00:15:56.360 --> 00:16:00.759 you have to ask. Notice this verse on the screen, James, 286 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:03.559 Chapter four, Verse two. You do not have what you 287 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:08.399 need because you do not ask God for it. So 288 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:10.279 you're telling me that God has some things he wants 289 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:12.159 to do in my life that are cool and good 290 00:16:12.200 --> 00:16:14.200 and great, but they're going to happen unless I ask 291 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:17.919 for it. That's exactly what I'm telling you. God has timing, 292 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:21.120 but you have praying, and some things have not happened. 293 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:23.799 In your life because you've never asked God for them. 294 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:28.159 You've never asked God to do them in your life. 295 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:30.559 He says, I intend to do it when I'm ready. 296 00:16:30.600 --> 00:16:33.200 That's timing, but you've got to pray for it to happen. 297 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:35.639 You have not because you asked not. Now this leaves 298 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:37.879 a little quandary in your life. You've gone through this before. 299 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:40.519 How do I know when I'm waiting on God? And 300 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:44.320 how do I know when God's waiting on me? Here's 301 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:46.960 a good question. Okay. He was like, you know, I 302 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:49.879 really have this big dream for my life, and I 303 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:52.159 really think this is what God wants me to do 304 00:16:52.200 --> 00:16:55.600 with my life. But I don't know. It hadn't happened yet. 305 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:59.080 So am I waiting on God? Or is God waiting 306 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:01.559 on me? Well? This explains it right here. What it 307 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:05.720 means is this, if I've asked for God to do 308 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:09.240 something really great in my life, and I've prayed about 309 00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:12.880 it and I've asked, and there's nothing between me and 310 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:15.079 God as far as I know, I'm doing what he 311 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:17.400 wants me to do. There's no big sin that's over 312 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:19.119 here in this corner that I'm going. Yeah, I know 313 00:17:19.160 --> 00:17:20.720 God wants me to do this, but I haven't done it. 314 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:25.240 And if I've asked God, and like Jesus said, I'm 315 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:29.079 connected to God. We're all copasetic, we're all we're in 316 00:17:29.079 --> 00:17:33.119 harmony me with God, and I'm in the Bible. I'm 317 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:36.480 reading the Bible every day, His words in me. If 318 00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:39.200 I pray and I ask and that's all true, and 319 00:17:39.240 --> 00:17:43.240 I haven't had the answer yet, then I'm waiting on God. 320 00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:46.839 It has all to do with his timing. I'm just 321 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:48.640 waiting for God. God says I'll do it, but I'm 322 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:51.079 just going to do it in my timing, and I 323 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:54.400 just need to be patient. On the other hand, if 324 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:56.200 I have something really great that I would like for 325 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.279 God to do in my life, and I've always wanted 326 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:01.960 God to do it, but I've never asked. I've never 327 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:04.680 asked God to do it, never ask for God's help, 328 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:08.759 never ask for God's guidance in my dream, then God's 329 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:12.559 waiting on you. If you haven't prayed about it, God 330 00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:15.720 is waiting on you. You have not because you ask not. 331 00:18:16.920 --> 00:18:18.640 So let me just start with this first point by 332 00:18:18.640 --> 00:18:21.359 asking a very personal question, what do you really want 333 00:18:21.400 --> 00:18:28.039 in life? What do you really really want in life? 334 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:32.960 But you've never asked God for it? Did you know 335 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:34.720 that the Bible says you can ask God for anything? 336 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:39.680 You can ask God for anything. First step, listen to God. 337 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:41.519 I read a little bit as I let God speak 338 00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:44.480 to me. Then I talk to him. Now here's step two. 339 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:49.160 Step two is focus my attention on God. This is 340 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.400 the second step in the kind of prayer that God 341 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:56.759 gets answered. So focus my attention on God. And in 342 00:18:56.880 --> 00:19:00.880 Daniel chapter nine, verse three, it says this, so I 343 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:07.000 turned my face to the Lord seeking him. All right, 344 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:10.160 circle the phrase turned my face. I turned my face 345 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.200 to the Lord seeking him. Husbands, let me talk to 346 00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:16.319 you for just a minute. I'm gonna give you a 347 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:19.480 marriage tip that will pay great dividends in your life 348 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:21.599 the rest of your life. You're listening to a guy 349 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:25.519 who's been married forty one years. Here's a big tip 350 00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:28.599 for every husband. I have noticed, and I've developed this 351 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:35.200 habit that whenever Kay talks to me, I turn my 352 00:19:35.400 --> 00:19:42.279 face toward her physically, whenever she starts talking, I literally 353 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:45.119 turn my face toward her. And you know what I've learned. 354 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:46.200 She likes it. 355 00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:53.079 In fact, she loves it that because when you turn 356 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:57.440 your face to somebody it's that you have my undivided attention. 357 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:02.759 I'm totally focused on you. You like this? Yeah, all 358 00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:06.319 the wives are clapping right now. Okay, great, great, yeah, okay, Uh, 359 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:09.920 everybody likes this. When you talk, you want people to 360 00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:14.359 turn their focus to you. Pity the poor substitute teacher 361 00:20:14.599 --> 00:20:17.279 who stands up in class and she's trying to teach 362 00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:21.200 and nobody's looking at her, and it's like in the 363 00:20:21.240 --> 00:20:25.519 old Peanuts cartoons, Woa wah wa wah wah whah, and 364 00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:30.079 she's just blathering on. Nobody's tuned in, nobody's listening. Turning 365 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:34.680 your face shows attention. When my kids were little, they 366 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:37.519 used to grab me by their face. Look at me, daddy. 367 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:43.559 You're not paying attention. Look at me, daddy. They wanted 368 00:20:43.680 --> 00:20:47.000 eye to eye contact. That is the highest gift you 369 00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:51.359 give anybody is your attention. It's more important than chocolate, roses, 370 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:55.880 her money, giving your kids, your wife. Your attention is 371 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:59.519 the highest gift because your attention is your life. Now, 372 00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:02.000 did you know that you can actually do this with God? 373 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:06.799 You can turn your face to God in prayer, how physically? 374 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:11.839 Just look up God, I'm here, I'm ready to talk. 375 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:15.119 I'm checking in for my three times a day conversation. 376 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:18.920 You go outside and look up at the heavens. You 377 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:23.160 stare up. You just look up. There's nothing in the 378 00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:24.880 Bible says you have to close your eyes to pray. 379 00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:26.680 Nothing in the Bible says you have to bow your 380 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:29.559 head to pray. That's one of the ways to pray. 381 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:32.039 It's a good way. But many times in the Bible 382 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:34.079 people didn't close their eyes. They actually looked up and 383 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:36.799 they talked aloud. I like to pray aloud to God. 384 00:21:36.920 --> 00:21:39.319 When I close my eyes and think I go to sleep. 385 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:44.200 I don't pray with my eyes closed, and I don't 386 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:49.680 pray in my mind. When I'm praying, I'm praying aloud 387 00:21:49.880 --> 00:21:52.720 and I'm driving the car, or I'm looking up or whatever. 388 00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:55.680 You could get in your lazy boy chair and lean back, 389 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:59.440 look up, God. I'm turning my face to you. Okay. 390 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:07.039 But it's a physical reminder that I'm refocusing my attention. Okay. 391 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:11.039 This is what Daniel did. He physically noticed verse three. 392 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:13.559 In the New American Standard version, it says this, so 393 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:18.039 I gave my attention to the Lord to seek him 394 00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:21.440 by prayer circle the word seek. This is the second 395 00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:24.200 step of prayer. The first is listening. The second step 396 00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:27.160 of prayer is seeking. But let me just show you 397 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:30.279 some of the benefits. If you'll learn how to do this, 398 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:32.920 it'll change your life. Your whole life's just gonna get 399 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:34.960 a whole lot better. Let me just show you three 400 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:37.359 or four or five promises. How about this one up 401 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:40.480