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, Joe, even the apostle Paul, and they 8 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:35.840 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 --> 00:00:44.399 for a Breakthrough. Rick's going to walk us through biblical 11 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:49.479 accounts of faith, prayer, and perseverance, reminding us that God 12 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:53.640 still moves in powerful ways whether you're in a season 13 00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:58.320 of waiting or searching for hope. This series offers encouragement 14 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:01.880 and biblical truth to help you keep going and get 15 00:01:01.960 --> 00:01:05.920 the breakthrough unied. And now here's Rick with part two 16 00:01:05.959 --> 00:01:09.239 of a message called how to Pray in a Crisis. 17 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:12.480 Now, did you know that you can actually do this 18 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:16.280 with God? You can turn your face to God in prayer, 19 00:01:16.439 --> 00:01:22.480 how physically? Just look up God. I'm here, I'm ready 20 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:25.319 to talk. I'm checking in for my three times a 21 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:29.200 day conversation. You go outside and look up at the heavens. 22 00:01:29.879 --> 00:01:33.640 You can stare up at you just look up. There's 23 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:35.400 nothing in the Bible says you have to close your 24 00:01:35.400 --> 00:01:37.280 eyes to pray. Nothing in the Bible says you have 25 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:40.079 to bow your head to pray. That's one of the 26 00:01:40.120 --> 00:01:42.599 ways to pray. It's a good way. But many times 27 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:44.599 in the Bible people didn't close their eyes. They actually 28 00:01:44.599 --> 00:01:46.840 looked up and they talked aloud. I like to pray 29 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:49.480 aloud to God. When I close my eyes and think 30 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:54.480 I go to sleep. I don't pray with my eyes closed, 31 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:58.599 and I don't pray in my mind. When I'm praying, 32 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:02.760 I'm praying allowed and I'm driving the car, or I'm 33 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:05.239 looking up or whatever. You could get in your lazy 34 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:08.360 boy chair and lean back, look up, God, I'm turning 35 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:12.039 my face to you. Okay. Let me say, but if 36 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:18.240 a physical reminder that I'm refocusing my attention. Okay, this 37 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:22.159 is what Daniel did. He physically noticed verse three. In 38 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:24.800 the New American Standard version, it says this, so I 39 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:29.680 gave my attention to the Lord to seek him by 40 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:32.800 prayer circle the word seek. This is the second step 41 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:35.319 of prayer. The first is listening. The second step of 42 00:02:35.319 --> 00:02:38.400 prayer is seeking. And now we're gonna talk a lot 43 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:40.560 about this. I'm gonna cheat you. I'm gonna train you 44 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:42.520 how to do this. You're gonna get really good at 45 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:47.159 seeking God. And during the thirty four days of seeking God, 46 00:02:47.560 --> 00:02:49.120 I'm going to teach you about this. So I'm not 47 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:51.159 gonna cover it right now, but let me just show 48 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:54.000 you some of the benefits. If you'll learn how to 49 00:02:54.039 --> 00:02:56.639 do this, it'll change your life. Your whole life's just 50 00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:58.759 gonna get a whole lot better. Let me just show 51 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:01.120 you three or four or five promises. How about this 52 00:03:01.159 --> 00:03:03.599 one up here on the screen Amos five to four. 53 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:08.560 God says this, seek me and you will live. In others, 54 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:10.479 You're not going to just exist. You're gonna really live. 55 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:12.879 You're not living life to the fullest. Some of you 56 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:16.319 just existing, he says, seek Me and you will live. 57 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:20.439 You're gonna learn how to really live. Proverbs eight, verse seventeen. 58 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.759 God says this, I love those who love me, and 59 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:27.800 those who seek me. Will what find me find me? 60 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:31.159 He said, I can't find God. You're not seeking. You 61 00:03:31.240 --> 00:03:33.080 gotta seek in the right way. Those who seek me 62 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.840 will find me. Let me show you another one. Jeremiah 63 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:39.919 twenty nine, verse thirteen says this. God says, you will 64 00:03:39.960 --> 00:03:44.120 find me when you seek me, what with all your heart. 65 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:47.800 That's serious, that's emotional seeking. We'll talk about that in 66 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.439 a minute. You're gonna find me when you really want 67 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:52.360 to know me now. Like ah, I kind of like 68 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:56.680 to know God in my spare time between the football 69 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:01.000 game and work. Maybe No, when you with all your heart, 70 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:03.879 then you're going to know me now. Hebrews eleven, verse 71 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:09.560 six says this God rewards those who earnestly seek him. 72 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:13.360 Would you like God to reward your business? Seek him? 73 00:04:13.639 --> 00:04:17.279 Would you like God to reward your finances? Seek him? 74 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:20.560 Would you like God to reward your marriage? Would you, guys, 75 00:04:20.639 --> 00:04:23.240 like God to reward your children? Would you like God 76 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:26.759 to reward your relationships, your boyfriend, your girlfriend? Would you 77 00:04:26.839 --> 00:04:30.000 like God to reward your future? Wherever you seek God, 78 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:33.279 God is going to reward Wherever you don't seek God. 79 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.319 God says, you're on your own. You're on your own. 80 00:04:36.839 --> 00:04:38.360 Let me show you another verse. This is a very 81 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:42.040 familiar one. Luke Chapter twelve, Jesus says, this, seek, there's 82 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:47.160 that word again. Seek first, God's kingdom, before everything else. 83 00:04:47.879 --> 00:04:50.360 God's came to this his priorities, not your priorities, His 84 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:54.399 priorities before everything else, And all the other things you 85 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:58.199 will need, you need will be given to you. Another 86 00:04:58.199 --> 00:05:01.879 one of those blanket promises. He says, don't seek wealth, 87 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:07.360 Seek God. He'll take care of what you need. Don't 88 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:10.040 seek fame, Seek God, He'll take care of what you need. 89 00:05:10.120 --> 00:05:13.399 Don't seek pleasure, don't seek a husband, don't seek to 90 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:17.079 all these other things you're seeking, he says, seek first me, 91 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:19.879 And if I'm in first place, he goes, I'm gonna 92 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:24.680 take everything else into consideration. You put me first. I 93 00:05:24.920 --> 00:05:28.879 bless the people who put me first. You have probably 94 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:31.160 never realized this, but with a lot of the pain 95 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:36.079 you're in right now, the difficulties, the stress, the pressure 96 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:39.560 you feel, the troubles you're facing, the mess that's all 97 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:43.800 tangled up in relationships, almost all of that stuff that 98 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:47.879 you're facing right now is the result of you not 99 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:52.920 seeking God. Because you didn't ask God first. You didn't 100 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:55.720 seek his guidance, you didn't seek his wisdom, you didn't 101 00:05:55.720 --> 00:05:58.600 seek his help, you didn't seek his permission. You just 102 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:01.319 made a decision, and so you went out and you 103 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:04.319 bought something without even asking God, God, should I buy 104 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:06.439 this house? Should I do this job? Should I do 105 00:06:06.519 --> 00:06:08.759 this car? Should I get in this relationship? You didn't 106 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:10.959 even ask God, you didn't see God. You just did it. 107 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:16.720 And now you're reaping the consequences of it. And that 108 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:19.560 causes so much of the problem in your life because 109 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:23.399 you made a decision without talking to God first. You 110 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:26.560 weren't having that daily conversation with God. God, I'm getting 111 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:32.000 ready to Costco. Go to Costco. Help because I don't 112 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:34.240 want to come home with four giant jars of pickles 113 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:39.160 that I really don't need. In every area you ask God, 114 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:42.120 you see God, he'll help, even blessed, he'll bless your shopping. 115 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:47.759 Now here's a very important point. Anytime we ignore God, 116 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:50.199 we don't ask for his help. We don't ask for 117 00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:52.959 his guidance. We don't ask for his blessing, we don't 118 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:56.079 ask for his permission, we don't ask for his wisdom. 119 00:06:56.600 --> 00:06:59.319 You know what God does when we don't ask for 120 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:03.360 those things and ask res direction. God just backs off 121 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:07.720 in your life. Fine, I only go where I'm invited, 122 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:10.560 So God says to you, Burger King, have it your way, 123 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.120 go right? Ahead. Okay. You didn't ask me if you 124 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:16.879 should buy that. You didn't ask me if you should 125 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:19.560 date her. You didn't ask me if you should accept 126 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:21.120 that job. You didn't ask me if that was a 127 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:24.680 good goal. You just did it. So fine, have it 128 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:27.560 your way, and God just backs off. I'll just go 129 00:07:27.639 --> 00:07:31.360 back to heaven, hang out there and let you reap 130 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:35.439 the results of your decisions. And then you got all 131 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:38.319 kinds of chaos and problems and trials and troubles in 132 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:40.439 your life. And then you cry out to God, said God, 133 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:44.160 I'm seeking you. He goes, Okay, I'm coming back. And 134 00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:47.800 that's what happens when we reap the consequences of our sin. 135 00:07:47.879 --> 00:07:50.600 Let me show you this on the screen. HOSEI, chapter five. 136 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:54.040 God says this, when I don't seek God in everyar 137 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:57.560 of my life. He says this, Okay, I will return 138 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:01.480 to my place on high and I'll just wait and 139 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:05.160 I'll just wait until they, that's you and me, acknowledge 140 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:07.759 our offenses. We didn't seek God, We didn't ask him 141 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:10.920 his opinion and this decision, and they feel their guilt 142 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:14.759 and then they seek my face. And then in their 143 00:08:14.920 --> 00:08:19.279 troubles and distress, which is always getting our attention, they 144 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:24.920 will earnestly seek me, saying, let us return to the 145 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:30.199 Lord so that he may heal us. Friends, that is 146 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:32.759 the description of what's happening in America and in the 147 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:37.039 world right now because we have not sought God. We 148 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:39.480 didn't ask God's permission, we didn't ask God's wisdom, we 149 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:41.960 didn't ask God's help, we didn't ask God's guidance. We 150 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:44.159 just did whatever we wanted to do. And we're in 151 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:48.840 trouble and distress. And that's in our lives and our 152 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:53.080 marriages and our families, in our work, and finally gets 153 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:56.120 so bad. You know, we don't change when we see 154 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:59.120 the light. We change when we feel the heat, and 155 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:01.080 we say, let us us return to the Lord so 156 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:04.519 he may heal us. What needs healing in your life? God, 157 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:07.960 I need you to heal me of my depression. I 158 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:10.240 need you to heal me of my anxiety. I need 159 00:09:10.279 --> 00:09:12.559 you to heal me of my secret fears that scare 160 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:15.720 me to death that I'm panicked about. God, I need 161 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:18.799 you to heal my body. God, I need you to 162 00:09:18.840 --> 00:09:21.320 heal the finances that I messed up because of my 163 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:24.799 own decisions. God, I need you to heal my marriage. 164 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:27.960 I need you to heal my relationship. God, I need 165 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:32.919 you to heal my nation. I need healing my job, 166 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:35.679 my career needs healing. I don't know where you need it, 167 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:39.320 but he says it starts with focusing my attention on 168 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:43.519 God and seeking him. So let me ask you a 169 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:47.799 couple questions here. Is it possible that the pain you're 170 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:52.240 going through right now is because you did not seek God, 171 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:54.639 but you just went ahead and made a decision without 172 00:09:54.679 --> 00:09:59.799 checking in with him. Highly probable, And now God said, 173 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:01.600 I could have saved you a lot of effort if 174 00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:05.559 you just sought me. Just have a conversation with you 175 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:07.440 two or three times a day, and I'll go red 176 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:11.519 light danger. Read Will Robinson, that's danger, don't go that direction. 177 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:15.600 Is it possible, Yes, that pain is because you did 178 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:17.159 not seek God in the past. You made a bunch 179 00:10:17.159 --> 00:10:21.639 of dumb decisions, and now you're paying the results of it. Question, 180 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:25.799 let me rephrase it in the more positive way. What 181 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:29.679 are you really really looking for in life? What are 182 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:32.919 you really looking for in life? If you were to 183 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:36.279 paint out next year and say this is the way 184 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:38.559 I want my life to be next year, this would 185 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:40.840 be the ideal year. For me, This would be the 186 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:43.399 perfect year for me. I'd like to see this thing's 187 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:46.039 happen in my life. I'd like to see these changes 188 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:48.559 in my life. If you painted out that picture, what 189 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:52.639 would it be? And I follow up that with this question, 190 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:58.519 is it worth spending thirty four days seeking God to 191 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:03.480 get you ready for next year? Yes? And it'll save 192 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:07.519 you from an awful lot of pain and heartache and discouragement. 193 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:10.399 And that's where we're going to go next. It's thirty 194 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:13.399 four days of seeking God. Okay, here's the third step. 195 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:17.639 The third step in prayers that get answered is express 196 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:23.480 my desires with emotion. Express my desires. When I want 197 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:25.360 to ask God for something I'm praying about. God, I 198 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:28.240 need this, whether it's a physical need, a material need, 199 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:31.279 a spiritual need, and emotional need, whatever you're asking for God, 200 00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:36.000 in prayer, you express my emotion my desire with emotion. 201 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:39.320 So many of our prayers are just cut and dried. 202 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:41.519 We just say these words. We don't even know what 203 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:44.120 we're talking about. We have these little you know, things 204 00:11:44.120 --> 00:11:47.039 we've memorized. Now I lay me down to sleep, I 205 00:11:47.080 --> 00:11:49.879 pray the Lord my soul to keep you know, and 206 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:51.720 if I should die, before I wake, I pray the 207 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:54.759 Lord my soul to take that means nothing, it's just 208 00:11:54.840 --> 00:11:57.519 little thing. Or you sit down free, bless this food 209 00:11:57.559 --> 00:11:59.720 to the nourishment of our bodies, the bless the gift 210 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:03.240 and the andes. And it's it's not there's no emotion, 211 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:07.000 there's no authenticity. It's just things you've learned. God doesn't 212 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:11.519 care how beautiful your prayer sounds. In fact, God doesn't 213 00:12:11.559 --> 00:12:13.679 even care as much about the words as he cares 214 00:12:13.759 --> 00:12:17.559 much about the emotions. Have you learned that you can 215 00:12:17.559 --> 00:12:19.919 say the right words and the wrong emotion and your 216 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:24.399 spouse doesn't get it. Yes, you can say all the 217 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:27.080 right things, but you didn't what do you mean by that? 218 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:32.440 Because of the tone of your voice? And so he's saying, 219 00:12:32.919 --> 00:12:37.759 God is an emotional god. The only reason you have emotions, 220 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:40.720 the good ones and the bad ones, is because you're 221 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:45.279 made in God's image. Human beings have emotions that none 222 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:47.600 of the animals have. We have a whole pentipley of 223 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:52.360 emotions because God is an emotional god. The Bible says 224 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:56.360 God gets happy. The Bible says God gets sad. He's 225 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:59.639 sad when he sees a rape, when he sees a molestation, 226 00:13:00.039 --> 00:13:02.159 and he sees a war. God is sad when he 227 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:04.879 sees what people do to each other out of selfishness, 228 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:08.799 and the Bible says, God gets angry. That's why you 229 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:11.240 can get angry. You're made in God's image. The Bible says, 230 00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:15.360 God gets jealous. Why because and that's why you get jealous, 231 00:13:15.399 --> 00:13:18.480 Because when God sees you giving your love to something 232 00:13:18.519 --> 00:13:21.039 else instead of him that belongs to him, he gets jealous. 233 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:24.480 The Bible says, God gets frustrated. He looks down and 234 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:26.519 he sees all of the stuff we're doing. He goes, 235 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:28.000 I told you not to do that, and you're doing 236 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:31.240 it anyway. It's gonna mess you up. He gets frustrated. 237 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:33.559 Now could God change it? Of course, he could turn 238 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:36.200 us all into puppets. But God's gonna just back out 239 00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:38.559 of your life. Have it your way. I'm not going 240 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.600 to force you to love me. I'm not going to 241 00:13:40.679 --> 00:13:43.039 force you to do the right thing. So you and 242 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:46.919 I make selfish decisions every day, and people get hurt. 243 00:13:46.919 --> 00:13:49.440 That's why there's sin, that's why there's evil in the world, 244 00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:53.360 because God gives us the freedom to choose. And so 245 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.639 God just says, well, I'll just back off. Let you 246 00:13:55.799 --> 00:13:58.919 reap the results of your own own decision. But God says, 247 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:02.480 I'm an emotional god. God, Jesus dying on the cross 248 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:07.200 was an emotional scene, highly emotional. Jesus dying the cross 249 00:14:07.320 --> 00:14:12.279 was emotionally agonizing to him. It was agonizing to God 250 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.639 the father watching his son die that way, but doing 251 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:18.919 it for your benefit. It was agonizing with the people 252 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.799 who are watching. It's an emotional thing, and God is 253 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:26.000 very emotional about you. Do you realize this? God? Just go, Oh, 254 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:30.159 I love you now. God loves you passionately, emotionally. God 255 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:34.759 has deep, deep, deep feelings for you. How much he 256 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:36.519 loves you. If you don't know how much he loves you, 257 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.480 look at the cross. I'm willing to die. I'm willing 258 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:43.799 to die for you. That's how much God has emotion 259 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:47.559 for you. And so God says, I want you. When 260 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:49.480 I have such emotion for you, I want you to 261 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:52.679 talk to me emotionally. Don't just do these little prayer 262 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:54.639 things where you read a prayer and there's no emotion 263 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:59.519 in it. Let me ask you. Does tone make a 264 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:03.559 difference and you make a request. Of course it does, 265 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:06.559 you know. I mean, how about guys, if you had 266 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:10.279 said to your future spouse on a date, you go, 267 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:15.440 like you to marry me. Oh please, I want you 268 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:18.519 to marry me. She go, buddy, If you can't say 269 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:20.840 it with a little bit more passion than that, forget it. 270 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:25.279 That ain't gonna happen. Do any of you remember when 271 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:28.399 you were little and somebody was tickling you and it 272 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:29.919 was fun at the start, and then it got too 273 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:33.399 much and when you wanted to stop taking you go 274 00:15:33.639 --> 00:15:37.039 you stop tickling me. No, please stop tickling me. I 275 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:40.399 can't handle it anymore. And you are passionate of passion 276 00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:44.879 intensity shows house up much. Something matters to you. Now 277 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.000 if you ask God about something, God, I really like this, 278 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:49.399 but you're not passionate about it. God go ww do 279 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:51.600 I know it's just a if you only pray about 280 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:53.480 it once, you're not willing to pray about it more 281 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:55.639 than once. And you never talked to God about God, 282 00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:57.600 I really need this. I gotta have this, you know 283 00:15:57.639 --> 00:16:00.720 I've got to have it. Then God goes, well, what 284 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:04.000 is this a wish or a whim or is it 285 00:16:04.039 --> 00:16:08.320 really a true desire? And so the Bible says this, 286 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:11.039 here's the third thing Daniel did. Verse three. The second 287 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:14.960 part of it, He says, I began pleading with God 288 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:19.720 earnestly in prayer circle. The word pleading, pleading means to 289 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:24.120 ask with emotion. It's not cut and dry. It's more 290 00:16:24.120 --> 00:16:28.159 than a mundane request. I'm asking with emotion. I'm pleading. 291 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:31.399 The Hebrew where there is pakash, it means an emotional request. 292 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:34.639 It's a serious seeking. It's searching with all your heart. 293 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:38.279 It's earnestly begging. It's I'm begging you. I'm begging you. 294 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:40.679 I'm begging you please, please please, I'm begging you please. 295 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:45.080 I'm down on my knees. I gotta have this. That's pleading. 296 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:50.080 God listens to pleading. Makes me think about a story 297 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:52.879 I heard a while back where as a kid, a 298 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:57.200 young kid who at Christmas time he wanted a Star 299 00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:59.200 Wars watch and it was a really cool watch. I 300 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:01.320 had Yoda on it. He just and so he was 301 00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:04.119 bugging his parents, Mom, I want this Star Wars watch 302 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:06.880 for Christmas, Dad, I want this Star Wars watch for Christmas. 303 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:10.119 He just keeps on and on and on, every conversation, 304 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:13.400 every meal, he's mentioning the Star Wars watch, and finally 305 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:18.519 his dad goes Johnny we got it. If you mentioned 306 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:21.960 this one more time, you're not gonna get the watch. 307 00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:27.599 Smart kid backs off, doesn't doesn't do anything. About a 308 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:32.799 week later, they're having this the whole family sitting at dinner, 309 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:36.519 and the dad says, hey, you know what, it's good 310 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:40.319 for us to talk about the Bible. So everybody just 311 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:43.599 share your your favorite Bible verse, anything or Bible verse 312 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:46.160 that you know you could say. And so one of 313 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.480 the kids goes John three sixteen because everybody knows that 314 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:50.720 one for God so loved the world. And the teenager 315 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:53.839 goes John eleven thirty five. Jesus wept shortest verse in 316 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:56.640 the Bible. Anybody can memorize that two words, Jesus wept, 317 00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.880 So okay, john John love the third right. Jesus wept 318 00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:02.759 that his verse. So they're going around the room and 319 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:05.720 they come to Johnny and Johnny goes So they said, Johnny, 320 00:18:05.720 --> 00:18:07.599 what's your favorite verse? He said, well, my favorite verse 321 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:12.240 would be Mark thirteen thirty seven, where Jesus said I 322 00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:20.119 told you once and I sand to you again. Watch good, Yeah, 323 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:24.039 smart kid, Okay, that's what you get for going putting 324 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:27.359 your kid in saddle back Kids Ministry. They're gonna learn 325 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:30.880 Bible verses like that, watch as so you know he was. 326 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:35.640 He was already. Look at this verse in the Message paraphrase, 327 00:18:35.720 --> 00:18:39.119 Daniels nine three says, I poured out my heart to God, 328 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:42.680 bearing my soul to God. Have you ever done that? 329 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:47.160 Have you ever poured out your heart to God? Have 330 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:49.880 you ever bared your soul to God? This is not 331 00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:53.799 wimpy week praying. This is gut cease praying. This is 332 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:57.119 gut wrenching praying. I'm pouring out my soul to God. God. 333 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:00.880 I gotta have your help in this business. I gotta 334 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:03.559 have your help in this marriage. I've got to God. 335 00:19:03.640 --> 00:19:07.319 I am telling you, I'm pouring out my heart. I am. 336 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:10.279 I am being authentic. I'm burying my soul. It's kind 337 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:12.640 of like Jacob wrestling with the Angel. I'm not gonna 338 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:18.480 let go until you bless me God. Now, when was 339 00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:21.079 the last time you ever prayed like that, pouring out 340 00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:24.759 your soul to God? Emotionally? I can tell you may 341 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:26.960 have forgotten, but I can tell you the last time 342 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:30.079 you prayed like that, As your pastor friend, spiritual coach, 343 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:32.400 the last time you prayed like that is when you 344 00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:37.480 were in deep, deep pain. Because we don't pour out 345 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:39.960 our hearts to God like that when we're things are 346 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:42.799 going great and we're skipping the hills of Jerusalem picking 347 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:47.480 flowers and talking about peace, love and Bobby Sherman, you know, 348 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:50.519 just to have a happy day, smiling faith. No, you 349 00:19:51.240 --> 00:19:53.519 pour out your God when you are in deep pain? 350 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:57.880 Is that the only time you pour out your heart 351 00:19:57.920 --> 00:19:59.880 to God when you're in deep pain? Can you do 352 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:04.799 it any other time? This is called traying with emotion, 353 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:07.359 called quote crying out to God. 354 00:20:13.240 --> 00:20:15.720 I am so grateful for that message by Rick, and 355 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:18.359 I hope you are too. And now here's Rick to 356 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:21.039 tell you how you can partner with daily Hope to 357 00:20:21.160 --> 00:20:23.240 take the word of God to the world. 358 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.920 Today. I'd like to read a testimony that really blessed me. 359 00:20:27.400 --> 00:20:30.359 It shows how even when you make mistakes, God's faithful 360 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:32.960 to forgive you, and that He's always working in your 361 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:36.960 life to bring about everything together for good in your life. 362 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:39.599 Not everything is good in your life, but God works 363 00:20:39.640 --> 00:20:42.480 at all for good in your life. Now, this is 364 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:45.039 from a man who says he's a recovering addict, and 365 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:48.480 this is part of his story that starts when he 366 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:51.920 listened to a daily Hope podcast. Here's what he wrote 367 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:56.119 past Rick. A couple months ago, I started a twelve 368 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:59.119 step program. In working the steps and in turning my 369 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:02.359 addiction over to God, I searched out many sources for 370 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:08.519 daily inspirational, daily devotionals, daily meditations to help me reconnect 371 00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:12.279 with the Lord as a support for the progress in 372 00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:15.400 my recovery. Now, in what just seemed to be a 373 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:18.880 random chance, seemed to be I just came across your 374 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:23.160 Daily Hope podcast and I blindly just picked a message 375 00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:26.680 from early July. I'm sure some of a lot of 376 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:28.960 other people have done that too. Well. The very first 377 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:31.559 one I listened to was on Roman seven, which is 378 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:35.000 all about why do I do the wrong things that 379 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:37.400 I don't want to do when I know what's wrong? 380 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:42.240 And what makes me do that? I can't believe that 381 00:21:42.279 --> 00:21:44.279 was the first one you listened to. Well, knock me 382 00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:47.519 over with a feather. It was a bolt of lightning 383 00:21:47.559 --> 00:21:49.720 that I needed to hear, and it was followed by 384 00:21:49.720 --> 00:21:52.960 tears of joy because the very next podcast, of course, 385 00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:57.680 was Roman's eight, which is the solution to my dilemma. 386 00:21:57.759 --> 00:22:01.039 That's right, folks. Roman seven explained the mess we're in. 387 00:22:01.319 --> 00:22:04.039 Roman Zata explains how to get out of it. He says, Rick, 388 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:07.119 it was like a smack on the head by divine intervention. 389 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.160 So I joined a small group and I haven't missed 390 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:12.880 a week since and I love it. And I have 391 00:22:12.920 --> 00:22:15.400 a weekly Bible study with a close friend who graciously 392 00:22:15.400 --> 00:22:18.960 offered to help me. And I subscribe to your daily 393 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:23.440 devotional email, and I've continued to listen to your podcast 394 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:27.519 when I go for my morning walk. He says. The 395 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:31.680 spiritual growth that I've achieved in a relatively short period 396 00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:34.200 of time is really nothing short of remarkable. It's a 397 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:37.599 miracle and it's a blessing, and it's helped me turn 398 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:40.799 my life around. I now understand why God allowed me 399 00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:43.319 to suffer through all my addiction, and that the path 400 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:47.000 to recovery is through Jesus Christ. From the bottom of 401 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:51.359