WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:06.360 Hey, thanks for joining us today on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. 2 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:09.240 We are so glad that you found us today. I've 3 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:12.439 got a question for you. Are you feeling stuck like 4 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:16.879 maybe you've hit a wall and just nothing's moving forward. Well, 5 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.719 you're not alone and you're not without hope. You know, 6 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:25.079 the Bible is full of people who faced impossible situations 7 00:00:25.399 --> 00:00:30.239 like Mary, Noah, Job, even the apostle Paul, and they 8 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:35.880 all experienced one thing that changed everything, a breakthrough from God. 9 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:41.079 So today Pastor Rick continues his series called Seeking God 10 00:00:41.159 --> 00:00:42.079 for a Breakthrough. 11 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:43.000 Rick's going to. 12 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:47.640 Walk us through biblical accounts of faith, prayer, and perseverance, 13 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:52.439 reminding us that God still moves in powerful ways whether 14 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:56.200 you're in a season of waiting or searching for hope. 15 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:01.119 This series offers encouragement and biblical truth to help you keep. 16 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:03.439 Going and get the breakthrough UNI. 17 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:06.439 And now let's get to Rick with part one of 18 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.640 a message called Why I Must Keep on Praying Persistently? 19 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:12.959 Today, I want us to look at why must I 20 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:16.519 keep on praying persistently? And the reason why I want 21 00:01:16.519 --> 00:01:18.439 to deal with this is because of all of the 22 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:21.920 mysteries about prayer, and there are a lot of them. 23 00:01:22.040 --> 00:01:23.480 There are a lot of things about prayer I do 24 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:27.040 not understand. I don't always understand how it works with 25 00:01:27.159 --> 00:01:29.799 the sovereignty of God and the will of man, and 26 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:31.560 when you're praying for other people and they have a 27 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:33.519 free will, I don't understand it all. I know that 28 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:37.000 just God said do it, and he says it over 29 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:39.159 and over and over twenty times. In the New Testament, 30 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.879 he says, ask, I want you to ask. You have 31 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:47.719 not because you ask not. Now, since our heavenly Father 32 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:51.640 loves us, we know that, and since we know that 33 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:55.040 he wants to answer prayer. He's commanded us asked for prayer. 34 00:01:55.799 --> 00:02:00.640 He has given us multiple promises about prayer, and he says, 35 00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:02.879 I want to ask, and I want to answer quickly. 36 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:04.200 He's eager to meet our needs. 37 00:02:04.519 --> 00:02:07.959 The question, then, is, then, why do I have to 38 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:12.639 pray more than one time? Why do I have to 39 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:16.199 make the same request over and over to God? If 40 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:19.360 I want what I'm asking for in prayer, and if 41 00:02:19.360 --> 00:02:21.960 God is clearly loving, and as we saw in the 42 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:24.240 last message, He's never going to give you something bad. 43 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:26.400 He's never going to give you something detrimental. He's never 44 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:29.120 going to give you something harmful or unhelpful. But he 45 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:32.360 will always give you what's good and what's best. He'll 46 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:35.520 never give you a bad gift. And if God wants 47 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:38.919 to do that, why do I have to ask multiple times? 48 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:42.479 You know, Jesus said, we looked at this last week. 49 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:46.759 Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. 50 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:49.560 That's a mystery to a lot of people. 51 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:52.680 Why can't I just say one time and then God 52 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:53.120 gives it? 53 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:54.639 And he knows that. 54 00:02:55.319 --> 00:02:59.159 The Bible many times talks about being persistent in prayer. 55 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:02.159 One example is there on your outline Colossiums, Chapter four, 56 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:07.240 verse two. Be persistent in prayer. In other words, keep 57 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:09.840 on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. Don't just 58 00:03:09.879 --> 00:03:13.240 pray one time about something, keep on praying. Be persistent 59 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:16.080 in prayer, and keep alert as you pray. In other words, 60 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:19.159 don't fall asleep when you pray. That's a good principle. 61 00:03:19.240 --> 00:03:22.199 Remember there I was resting in the Lord. 62 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:22.599 You know. 63 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:27.560 Keep alert as you pray, always giving thanks to God. 64 00:03:27.639 --> 00:03:30.840 Now we've looked four times at prayer, and every time 65 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:34.400 it adds. Give thanks. When you're asking that we ask 66 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:37.080 out of a grateful heart, gratitude for the past. We're 67 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.520 asking about the future, But he says, always be grateful 68 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:41.919 for what God has already given you. So why do 69 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:43.759 I have to ask over and over and over and 70 00:03:43.800 --> 00:03:46.759 over and over? Does God have to be cajoled? Does 71 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:49.840 He have to be pestered? Does God have to be bothered? 72 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:52.520 Do I have to wear God down? Do I have 73 00:03:52.599 --> 00:03:54.719 to beg and beg and beg and bribe and plead 74 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:59.280 and cry and bother until finally just God goes, okay, enough, already, 75 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:04.400 shut up, I'm going to give it to you. Is 76 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:07.240 that what kind of God we serve? The answer is 77 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:13.439 absolutely not. That is not at all the reason God 78 00:04:13.479 --> 00:04:16.000 says I want you to ask multiple times. It's not 79 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:21.160 for his benefit and it's for our benefit. In fact, 80 00:04:21.279 --> 00:04:23.480 we're going to look at two stories today that Jesus 81 00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:26.480 told that teach the exact opposite of that idea, that 82 00:04:26.519 --> 00:04:28.279 I have to wear God down, that I have to keep 83 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:31.079 pestering and bargaining and bribing and then. 84 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:33.800 Finally God just goes, okay, I give in. You can 85 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:34.279 have this. 86 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:40.399 In fact, Jesus told two parables that teach the exact 87 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:43.759 opposite thing. Now, by the way, what it's a parable? 88 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:46.319 You've heard this word parable? A parable is simply a 89 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:51.000 story with a point. A parable is not just a story. 90 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:53.560 It's a story with a lesson. It's a story with 91 00:04:53.639 --> 00:04:56.800 an insight. It's a story with the truth that God 92 00:04:56.879 --> 00:04:59.680 wants you to get. And the Bible tells us that 93 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:03.800 Jesus Us never taught without using parables. He was the 94 00:05:03.959 --> 00:05:07.240 master storyteller, and these stories still relate to us two 95 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:10.319 thousand years later because he was such a master storyteller 96 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:12.959 and he just would deal with slices of life. Now, 97 00:05:13.120 --> 00:05:15.480 there are two kinds of parables you need to understand. 98 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:20.639 There are comparing parables and there are contrasting parables. 99 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:21.560 Let me explain this. 100 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:25.279 In a comparing parable, Jesus tells a story and he's saying, 101 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:29.439 this compares to God. God is like this, like the 102 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:31.839 loving Father in the story of the Prodigal Son. 103 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:32.920 God is like that. 104 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:36.399 And when Jesus tells a story where he's saying this 105 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:40.240 is what God is like, that's a comparing parable. But 106 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:44.759 sometimes he says God is not like this. That's a 107 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:49.800 contrasting parable. It's a contrasting parable. In no way people 108 00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:51.879 of the world are like this, but God's not like this. 109 00:05:52.920 --> 00:05:55.040 The two stories we're going to look at today, they're 110 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:59.480 very brief, actually are contrasting, and God is saying, I 111 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:02.399 am not at all like the people in this story, 112 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:05.360 and he's getting rid of the idea that you have 113 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:08.160 to beg and bargain and bribe God to have an 114 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:10.240 answer to prayer. So let's look at these two stories 115 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:13.399 and then we'll kind of unpack them. The first one 116 00:06:13.639 --> 00:06:17.759 is in Luke chapter eleven, and it's the story of 117 00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:20.480 a persistent friend. Look up here on the screen, and 118 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:22.920 here's what this story is all about. 119 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:26.519 Once, when Jesus had been. 120 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:31.240 Out praying, his disciples asked Lord, teach us to pray. 121 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:34.480 We talked about this last week. And by the way, 122 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:36.800 when he said teach us to pray, he taught them 123 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:40.360 what is now known as the Lord's prayer, and he 124 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:43.120 taught them the model praises. Okay, here's how you started, 125 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:46.199 our father. Remember we talked about that last week. It 126 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:48.480 all starts with the right relationship. God is not some 127 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:51.279 force in the sky. He's not a force. He's your father. 128 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:55.439 And he's not like any human father who is inconsistent 129 00:06:55.639 --> 00:07:00.240 and uncaring and distant and distracted and sometimes demeaning. This guy, God, 130 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:05.399 this Father is caring, he's consistent, he is a competent, 131 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:07.160 he's capable. 132 00:07:07.399 --> 00:07:09.959 And he is always with you. He's close. 133 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:12.519 And so he says, our Father, who are in heaven, 134 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:15.279 hallowed be your name, your kingdom. Come, Your will be 135 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:18.120 done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us 136 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.000 this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, 137 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:23.319 our trespasses, as we forgive those who have. 138 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:24.560 Sinned against us. 139 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:28.199 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 140 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:30.360 For yours as the kingdom and the power and the 141 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:31.279 glory forever. 142 00:07:31.720 --> 00:07:32.120 Amen. 143 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.560 But after Jesus taught him the Lord's prayer, he then 144 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:38.959 told them this story. And here's what he says. But 145 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:43.639 Denny said, suppose you went to your neighbour's house at 146 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:50.079 midnight and knocked on his door double hmm, and said, 147 00:07:50.199 --> 00:07:53.160 an out of town guest has just arrived at my place. 148 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:56.879 He's hungry and I've got nothing to feed him, so 149 00:07:57.000 --> 00:07:59.240 I need to borrow three loaves of bread. Would you 150 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:02.199 do that with your name? Wake him up at midnight? 151 00:08:02.920 --> 00:08:06.759 This is the persistent neighbor. Now, your neighbor would probably 152 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:08.800 whisper from the inside of his house. 153 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:13.600 Don't bother me. The door's already locked for the night. 154 00:08:14.040 --> 00:08:16.399 He's saying this from the bedroom, maybe out the window. 155 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:19.839 The door's already locked for the night. We're all in bed. 156 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:28.399 I can't wake up everybody just to help you. 157 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:29.800 Now, he says. But even though he would not help you. 158 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:34.039 Out of friendship at that particular moment, if you keep 159 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:40.600 persistently knocking on his door, he's gonna get up and 160 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:43.759 he's gonna give you what you need because of your persistence. 161 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:48.679 All right, already, he says. You just keep on knocking. 162 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:52.600 So Jesus says, I tell you this, this is a parable. 163 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:56.879 By contrast, keep on asking and you'll get it. Keep 164 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:00.120 on seeking and you'll find, And keep on knocking and 165 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:02.919 the door will be open to you. For everyone who 166 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.320 asks receive, and everyone who seeks will find. And if 167 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:11.279 you keep on knocking, the door will be opened to you. Now, 168 00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:13.879 just in case we didn't get that message, she says, 169 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.039 I'm not like that guy who's not going to give 170 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:17.679 it to you out a friendship. He's just given to 171 00:09:17.720 --> 00:09:19.919 you out to get you out of his hair. 172 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:23.519 He says. The principle there is you should keep on. 173 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:26.879 Knocking, you keep on asking, keep on seeking, And Jesus 174 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:30.360 wants you so badly to understand why you should pray 175 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:33.360 about something more than once that he doesn't just give 176 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:34.279 you one story. 177 00:09:34.759 --> 00:09:38.879 He gives us two. And let's look at the second parable. 178 00:09:39.080 --> 00:09:42.639 And in this he wants to emphasize that you should never, never, 179 00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:46.080 never give up praying for something that you're asking for 180 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:48.360 until you've got it all. 181 00:09:48.440 --> 00:09:49.240 Right. 182 00:09:49.399 --> 00:09:52.759 Now, here's the second story, and it's in chapter eighteen 183 00:09:52.919 --> 00:09:55.279 of Luke and it's first eight verses. This is called 184 00:09:55.279 --> 00:10:00.399 the story of the Persistent Widow. Similar theme one day, 185 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:04.039 this is a different day. Jesus told his disciples another 186 00:10:04.200 --> 00:10:09.679 story to illustrate that they should always keep on praying 187 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.639 and never give up. Now, before we take that verse down, 188 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:15.039 I want you to notice something. He says, you should 189 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:18.440 always keep on praying and never give up. In your life, 190 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:24.639 you are always doing one or the other. If you're 191 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:28.759 not praying, you're giving up. And if you're giving up, 192 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:33.039 if you're discouraged this weekend, it's because you're not praying. 193 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:37.279 Jesus said, we should always pray and not give up. 194 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:41.240 What is the opposite of discouragement persistent prayer? What is 195 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:45.519 the opposite of not praying persistently discouragement? So you can 196 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:51.360 go through life either discouraged or diligent. You can be 197 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:54.360 pressured into feeling bad about it, or you can be 198 00:10:54.440 --> 00:10:58.879 persistent in praying. And he says, you're gonna throughout life 199 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:01.559 you're always doing one of the other. Anytime you get discouraged, 200 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:05.279 you should ask yourself, have I stopped praying persistently? That's 201 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:07.879 why you discouraged, because you've gotten your eyes off of 202 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:10.360 God and onto yourself. On the other end, if you're 203 00:11:10.360 --> 00:11:14.039 praying persistently, it eliminates discouragement in your life. You're gonna 204 00:11:14.039 --> 00:11:18.000 pray or you're gonna give up. Now, then he says this, 205 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:22.320 here's the story. There once was a big city judge, 206 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:26.799 Jesus says, who didn't care at all about God or people. 207 00:11:27.559 --> 00:11:31.200 But there was an elderly woman, an elderly widow, who 208 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:36.120 kept coming to this judge over and over, pleading for 209 00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:40.519 the judge to protect her rights and do something about 210 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:43.679 a man who had cheated her. I want justice, I 211 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:46.960 have my rights, she keeps, coming back to the judge 212 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:48.440 over and over. Judge, you got to help me. And 213 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.399 he didn't care less about her, he says, or even God. Now, 214 00:11:52.440 --> 00:11:56.559 it says, for a long time, this judge just ignored her. 215 00:11:56.600 --> 00:11:56.960 Please. 216 00:11:57.320 --> 00:12:00.679 He couldn't care less about this widow, interest in her 217 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:02.759 helping her get justice. 218 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:04.480 Or you know, protect her rights. 219 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:08.480 The judge just ignored her please for help. But eventually 220 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:13.720 he had had enough, so he thought to himself, you know, 221 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:19.360 even though I don't care at all about what God 222 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:23.000 or what this woman think, I'm tired of her pestering. 223 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:27.399 I'm tired of her pestering request. So I'm going to 224 00:12:27.399 --> 00:12:30.279 see that she gets justice, just to get her to 225 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:35.960 be quiet and stop bothering me. Note the same theme 226 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:40.399 as the other story. Then the Lord said, now learn 227 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:43.759 a lesson from this uncaring judge. 228 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:46.240 He says, okay, guys, get the point here. 229 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:51.960 Even if that corrupt, uncaring this guy has no compassion 230 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:54.120 at all, He doesn't care about you or anybody else. 231 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:58.279 Even if that corrupt, uncaring judge eventually gave in to 232 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:04.399 that woman's request, won't God, who loves you deeply saying 233 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:07.519 this guy's not like me, won't God who loves you 234 00:13:07.639 --> 00:13:12.360 deeply surely give you what is right if you keep 235 00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:18.399 crying out to him day and night. Jesus tells two 236 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.960 stories to teach the exact same truth anytime Jesus tells 237 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:23.919 two stories. 238 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:25.519 To teach you one truth. It's that important. 239 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:29.679 Why you should never give up in praying for something 240 00:13:29.720 --> 00:13:31.799 not to go. Well, I prayed and nothing didn't happen, 241 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:35.240 so I just gave up on it. Now here's the contrast. 242 00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:40.559 He says, God listens to you. God cares, and God 243 00:13:40.600 --> 00:13:43.879 wants to answer, even if people don't, even if your 244 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:45.759 neighbor doesn't they think you're being rude you're in the 245 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:48.759 middle of the night, or even if some unjust, uncaring, 246 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:52.720 unsympathetic judge says, forget it, I have no time for you. 247 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:53.440 He said. 248 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:56.559 God is not like either of them. He listens, he cares. 249 00:13:57.000 --> 00:13:59.679 And the point is this that God is eager to 250 00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:06.120 end answer your prayers. So why then doesn't God just 251 00:14:06.200 --> 00:14:07.120 answer it the first time? 252 00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:07.519 I ask? 253 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:11.039 Why does he want me? And it says over and 254 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.679 over scripture to keep on praying, keep on seeking, keep 255 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:16.399 on asking, keep on knocking. Why does God want me 256 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:20.879 to be persistent? So why does God want me and 257 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.440 want you to keep praying the same request over and 258 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:26.639 over and over till he gives it? Why does he 259 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:27.759 want us to be persistent? 260 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:29.279 Well, the Bible gives. 261 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:31.720 Us a number of reasons, and none of them have 262 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:35.039 to do with convincing God. He already knows your need 263 00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:38.279 before you even ask. That's not why you do it. 264 00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:40.240 There are a number of other reasons. You might write 265 00:14:40.240 --> 00:14:43.320 these down. They're all right here in the scriptures. Number 266 00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:49.080 one because it keeps my attention focused on God. When 267 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:51.679 you pray about something over and over and over, where's 268 00:14:51.720 --> 00:14:55.039 your attention? It's focused on God. Now I've told you 269 00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:58.480 this many times that attention is the greatest gift you 270 00:14:58.519 --> 00:15:03.320 can give somebody. Guys, the greatest gift if you're married, 271 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:07.200 the greatest gift you can give your wife is your attention. 272 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:11.399 The greatest gift you can give your kids is your attention. 273 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:14.480 Why Because your attention is your time, and your time 274 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:17.120 is your life. You're never going to get that back. 275 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:21.039 You can always give people money, but you can always 276 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:23.639 get more money, but you can't always get more time back. 277 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:25.720 You've got the same amount of time as everybody else, 278 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:28.679 one hundred and sixty eight hours a week. When you 279 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:31.559 give your attention to somebody, when you look someone in 280 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:34.440 the eye, you're saying you matter to me, You're valuable, 281 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:38.039 You're worth part of my life. It's the highest gift 282 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:43.639 you can give people crave attention. God wants your attention. 283 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:47.000 You know, the Bible says God is constantly thinking about you. 284 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:50.679 How about if you thought about somebody all the time 285 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:54.039 and they never thought about you. Well, that probably was 286 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:57.799 true when you're in junior high school because there's somebody 287 00:15:57.840 --> 00:15:59.720 you thought about all the time and they. 288 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:01.159 Were totally oblivious to you. 289 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:04.799 And you know how painful that was that they did 290 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:07.480 not even notice you when all you could do was 291 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:10.000 think about them because you are in love in your 292 00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:14.440 mind with that person. God says, I want your attention, 293 00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:16.960 And so when you pray about something over and over 294 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:20.080 and over, you give God your attention. God loves to 295 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:22.960 have your attention because he's always thinking about you. One 296 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:26.080 of the reasons God loved King David in the Old 297 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.440 Testament of the Bible is because David gave God his 298 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:29.399 attention all the time. 299 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:30.960 Look at these two verses Psal. 300 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.000 I'm twenty five point fifteen, David says, my eyes are 301 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:38.840 continually looking to the Lord. That's another word for being persistent. 302 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:42.600 I'm continually looking to the Lord for help, and he 303 00:16:42.720 --> 00:16:46.480 alone can rescue me from all the traps supposed to 304 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:46.919 be plural. 305 00:16:46.960 --> 00:16:47.679 All the traps. 306 00:16:47.879 --> 00:16:49.480 You know what, You're gonna have a lot of traps 307 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:52.919 in your life this next week. He's the only one 308 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:55.600 who knows them in advance. Have you ever gone up 309 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:58.480 a mountain road and you're behind a truck and they're 310 00:16:58.519 --> 00:17:00.840 slow and you'd like to pass them, but you can't 311 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:03.720 see around the curve. And how great it would be 312 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:08.119 if you could call in a like a helicopter and 313 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:11.200 they could say, yeah, it's clear around the corner because 314 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:13.799 they could see what you can't see. God can see 315 00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:15.920 what you can't see. He can see the traps you're 316 00:17:15.920 --> 00:17:17.599 going to have this next week, this next month, and 317 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:22.599 next year, He says, Focus on me continually, and I'll 318 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:24.720 show you how to be rescued from all of the 319 00:17:24.759 --> 00:17:26.519 traps some one oh five verse four. 320 00:17:26.920 --> 00:17:30.559 Look to the Lord for his strength, seek his face. 321 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:32.759 How often? Yeah? 322 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:37.000 Constantly circle that so it keeps my attention focused on God. 323 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:39.839 God wants you to keep asking because it keeps your 324 00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:41.279 attention focused on him. 325 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:42.119 Question. 326 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:44.720 Do you talk to God more when you need something? 327 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:45.519 Of course you do. 328 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:49.640 If you never needed anything, would you talk to God 329 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:50.319 as often? No? 330 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:52.359 When you talk to God the most when you're in 331 00:17:52.440 --> 00:17:57.839 deep pain, so it keeps me focused on God continually. 332 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:01.279 There's a second reason, and it's because having to wait 333 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:08.559 teaches me about myself. Having to wait teaches me about myself. 334 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:11.880 You're going to learn some things while you're praying for 335 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:16.279 an answer that you won't learn any other way. This 336 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:18.720 is going to be a mind opening message for some 337 00:18:18.839 --> 00:18:22.400 of you because you learn not just about God, you 338 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:27.200 learn about yourself when you don't get everything you want instantly. 339 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:30.119 When you pray and God says, well, let's just see 340 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:32.279 about how long it's going to take before that prayer 341 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:36.839 gets answered. Some prayers are answered immediately, but some take times, weeks, months. 342 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:39.880 Two of the most important prayers I've ever prayed. One 343 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:43.680 of them took thirteen years and one of them took 344 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:48.400 almost twenty five years. But God answered it, and they 345 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:52.000 were the most important prayers in my life at that time. 346 00:18:53.799 --> 00:18:56.000 Why it takes a long because while I was working 347 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:59.559 on the prayer, God was working on me. And there 348 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.640 are no number of tests that happen when you pray 349 00:19:02.680 --> 00:19:06.079 about something over and over and over that reveal more 350 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:11.599 about you. Notice this verse Zachariah says in Zachariah thirteen, 351 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:17.279 verse nine, God says, I will test and purify them. 352 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:20.160 That's you and me. I'll test and purify them as 353 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:23.160 silver is purified by fire. Every wonder when you're going 354 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:24.960 through the fire. Why you're going through it. It's for 355 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:28.880 testing and for purification. I will test them as gold 356 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:31.279 is tested. How do you test gold? You put it 357 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:33.880 in a big vat and you heat it up until 358 00:19:33.880 --> 00:19:36.880 it gets so hot that all the impurities are burned off. 359 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:39.039 And how do you know when gold and silver is pure? 360 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:43.079 Because the silversmith can see his reflection in it, and 361 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:44.039 God can see. 362 00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:44.920 His reflection in you. 363 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:47.720 When all the impurities have burned out of your life, 364 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:51.319 You've been through the fire, he says. Then after I've 365 00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:56.039 tested them, after I've purified them, then they will be. 366 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:59.480 They will pray to me and I will answer. Notice 367 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:03.599 that the prayer answer comes after the test. Does that 368 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:08.039 sound vaguely familiar. We spent ten weeks on Daniel, looking 369 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:11.160 at ten tests of Daniel, and I said, before every blessing, 370 00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:16.440 there is a testing, and God tests you with stress 371 00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:20.279 before he trusts you with success. That principle of Daniel's 372 00:20:20.279 --> 00:20:23.319 life is one of the principles of persistent prayer. God 373 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:26.400 is going to test you before he blesses you. And 374 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:28.480 he says, I'm going to test you, and in this test, 375 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:31.839 you're going to learn a lot about yourself. If you 376 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.359 give up praying, you're never going to learn these lessons. 377 00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:38.519 He said, what do I learn? What do I specifically 378 00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:42.599 learn about myself when I have to pray specifically and persistently. Well, 379 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:45.559 let me just mention four areas, four areas that God 380 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:47.759 wants me to grow, wants you to grow. Write these down. 381 00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:53.240 The first would be this praying persistently test my desires. 382 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:59.240 Praying persistently test my desires, and what that means is, 383 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:02.839 I asked the question, and what do I really want? 384 00:21:09.160 --> 00:21:12.519 Hey, thanks for listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. And 385 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:15.240 now here's Pastor Rick with a letter from one of 386 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:16.079 our listeners. 387 00:21:16.440 --> 00:21:18.480 You know, we get letters and emails from people all 388 00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:20.960 around the world and from all ages, and here's one 389 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:25.279 that I got from a listener in Indonesia. His name 390 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:28.519 is Steven and he's twelve years old. He wrote, Dear 391 00:21:28.559 --> 00:21:32.200 Pastor Rick, thank you for the powerful way that you've 392 00:21:32.200 --> 00:21:35.319 impacted my life. I'm just a twelve year old schoolboy 393 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:39.119 in Jakarta, Indonesia. But I listened to the broadcast every 394 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:42.799 morning on the way to school. My life has changed 395 00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:46.039 completely this year. I'm at a new school, and my 396 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:50.160 family's just about recovered from some financial problems, but I'm 397 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:50.839 still having to. 398 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.480 Learn a whole new way of life. 399 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:55.279 Some days I really feel bad and I ask God 400 00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:58.400 to help me, But then the Daily Hope broadcast comes 401 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:01.000