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 --> 00:00:35.840 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 --> 00:00:42.079 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 --> 00:01:00.439 This series offers encouragement and biblical truth to help you 16 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:02.799 keep going and get the breakthrough. 17 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:03.399 Uni. 18 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:07.519 Okay, here's Rick with the final part of a message 19 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:10.000 called how to Pray in a Crisis. 20 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:13.760 There are many, many examples of people of all sorts 21 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:16.359 who cried out to God and God heard their prayer. 22 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:19.680 There are many many promises in the Bible about crying out. 23 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:23.920 God does not listen to just complaints. He listens to 24 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:27.879 crying out in emotion to God, saying, God, I really 25 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:32.120 need your help now. It says Daniel, he said he 26 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:34.840 was pleading. He's crying out. What is he pleading? What 27 00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:37.519 is Daniel pleading with God about? He's going God, I 28 00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:41.640 want to go back home. I'm an old man. I'm 29 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:45.000 eighty five years old. I spent my entire life serving 30 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:48.599 pagan kings. I've done good. I stay true, kept my 31 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:51.920 integrity in a pagan world. I didn't deny my faith, 32 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:55.319 and I kept getting promoted. I'm pretty influential guy in 33 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:57.120 the whole kingdom here. But God, I want to go 34 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:00.680 back home. I really I'm gonna go. I'm gonna die 35 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:03.840 in my home country now. Jeremiah, the other guy at 36 00:02:03.879 --> 00:02:08.039 the same time, had predicted that after seventy years, Babylon 37 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:11.240 would fall, and that then the people of God in 38 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:14.120 Babylon would start praying and pleading God, let us go 39 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:16.960 back home. Here's what it says Jeremiah, chapter fifty. This 40 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:22.240 was his prediction. He says, Then my people will join 41 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:27.599 together in tears. That's emotional praying. They'll join together in 42 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:31.879 tears to seek the Lord. Thirty four days of seeking God, 43 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:35.639 and they will ask the way to Jerusalem. What because 44 00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:37.080 it had been seventy years, they didn't even know how 45 00:02:37.080 --> 00:02:39.199 to get back home. They will ask the way to 46 00:02:39.319 --> 00:02:45.759 Jerusalem and they will start back home again. That's one 47 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:48.719 of the most touching and hopeful verses in the Bible. 48 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:51.159 They don't know the way to get back home, but 49 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:53.879 they're gonna ask God in tears, and they will start 50 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:57.280 back home again. You need to pray that prayer. You 51 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.560 need to pray that prayer for your own life. God, 52 00:02:59.719 --> 00:03:02.879 I've got gotten so detached from you. I've gotten so busy. 53 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:05.479 I've gotten so distracted. I don't even know the way 54 00:03:05.479 --> 00:03:07.240 to find my way back home to you. I haven't 55 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:09.439 the slightest idea how to get back home to you. 56 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:12.000 I don't know how to get home to Jerusalem, but 57 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:14.639 I want to come back home. You need to pray 58 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:16.199 that per for your life. Some of you need to 59 00:03:16.199 --> 00:03:20.240 pray that for your family. Our family's so out of whack. 60 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:23.680 We need to come back home to you. Some of 61 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:25.639 your parents need to pray that for your kids. I 62 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:27.960 got kids who are out there on the limb. I 63 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:31.120 need to pray they'll come back home. Some of you 64 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:33.639 need to pray it for your business. All of us 65 00:03:33.719 --> 00:03:37.039 need to pray it for our nation. It's a message 66 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:41.759 of hope. Now, when does God answer that kind of prayer? Well, 67 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.080 notice that verse It said, when my people join together 68 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:48.000 in tears. You might circle that, when my people join 69 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:51.520 together in tears, God says, then I'm going to answer. 70 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:55.000 Let me ask you a question. You see everything that 71 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:57.840 I see. You read the newspapers, you watch TV, you 72 00:03:57.840 --> 00:03:59.840 see what's going on in our nation, you see what's 73 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:03.280 going on in our world. Does anything break your heart? 74 00:04:06.120 --> 00:04:08.439 The stuff that's going on around Does it break your heart? 75 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:12.039 What you see happening in our society, in our system, 76 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:16.639 in our politics. Does anything break your heart? You see 77 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:19.000 all the stuff going on all around the world. Is 78 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:23.360 there anything ever bring tears to your eyes? That means 79 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:26.600 you really pulled away from the heart of God. It's 80 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:29.120 not something we just gossip about and tweet about. It's 81 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:31.680 something that breaks the heart, and in tears we say God, 82 00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:35.000 we need help in this area. All right, here's the 83 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:38.000 fourth key. There's six keys. Number four. I need to 84 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:43.639 demonstrate my seriousness. When you're praying about something, you need 85 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.759 to signal to God that you mean business about this 86 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:49.319 that it's not just a little whim, it's not just 87 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:53.000 a casual thought. But you're really serious about this. You 88 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:56.560 want to let God see how important whatever you're praying 89 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:00.639 about is to you. Now, Daniel Well, in the next 90 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:04.199 part of this verse, mentions three ways he shows he 91 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:08.639 signals his seriousness to God. Two of them were cultural customs, 92 00:05:08.759 --> 00:05:12.160 which we don't do in America or anywhere I think today. 93 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:15.480 But one of them is a spiritual discipline that had 94 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:17.480 been going on for centuries and thousands of years, and 95 00:05:17.519 --> 00:05:20.759 people still do it today. Here's what he says in 96 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:23.639 verse three, the third part of the verse. He said, 97 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:28.759 I started fasting, which means he's going without food. That's 98 00:05:28.759 --> 00:05:32.639 a spiritual discipline. He said, I started fasting and went 99 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:37.279 without food, and to show my sadness, to demonstrate my seriousness, 100 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:40.879 I put on rough clothes and sat in ashes. Now 101 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:44.879 nobody does this today. This is called sackcloth and ashes, 102 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:47.879 and it was done for hundreds and hundred of years 103 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:50.319 in the Middle East and in the Orient. I don't 104 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:54.680 know that anybody does this today. Jesus said, there are 105 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.600 some miracles that happen only by prayer and fasting, not 106 00:05:58.839 --> 00:06:01.800 by prayer alone. Why, Because it says God, I'm super 107 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:05.360 serious about this. I'm super serious enough to go without food. 108 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.079 That's how discipline and serious I am about this prayer 109 00:06:09.120 --> 00:06:11.879 request all I don't have time to go in this, 110 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:15.600 but all through scripture. Moses fasted before he received the 111 00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:19.639 Ten Commandments. The Israelite fasted from before they went into many, 112 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:23.839 many major battles. Daniel fasted in order to receive guidance 113 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:27.879 from God. Neamiah fasted before he began a major building project. 114 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:33.040 You should too, business guy. Jesus fasted and victory over temptation. 115 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:37.720 The very first Christians fasted during decision making times in 116 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:40.279 their life. We'll I'll teach you a whole lot more 117 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:42.759 about this, but this is the point of simply saying 118 00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:45.839 I demonstrate my seriousness. Okay. Number five. The fifth thing, 119 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:52.279 Thank God for his love and promises. Thank God for 120 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:55.879 his love and promises. The Bible says, when you ask, 121 00:06:56.360 --> 00:07:01.680 ask with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not a holiday. If you're 122 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:04.959 a believer, it's the attitude of your entire life. You 123 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:08.720 are to live with the attitude of gratitude. And the 124 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:12.519 fifth thing Daniel does in his prayer is he reminds 125 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:15.000 himself of how good God is, how gracious God is, 126 00:07:15.040 --> 00:07:17.879 and how grateful he is to God Daniel ninety four. 127 00:07:18.079 --> 00:07:20.839 Then I prayed to the Lord, and I said, Lord, 128 00:07:22.040 --> 00:07:26.720 you are great. You are an awesome God. You always 129 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.120 fulfill your promises. You keep your word, you say it, 130 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.040 you keep your word. You always fulfill your promises of 131 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:37.199 constant love. And I'm flaky, you're not. I'm unfaithful to you, 132 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:40.279 but you're not unfaithful to me. You keep your promises 133 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:42.839 of concile love to those who love you, and keep 134 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.519 your commands down in verse ninety says, and even though 135 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:50.079 we have rebelled against you, you Lord are merciful and forgiving. 136 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:54.680 You Just tell God, God, I'm grateful that you're God, 137 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:58.360 and I'm not God. I'm grateful that you're loving, You're forgiving, 138 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:02.759 You're good, You're merciful. And so you thank God for 139 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:05.439 his love and his promises. And then number six, the 140 00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:08.360 sixth thing do you do? Yeah, this is the last step. 141 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:13.839 I humbly confess my sin. God doesn't listen to prideful complaining, 142 00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:18.319 but he does listen to humble confessing. God responds to humility. 143 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:22.240 He says, God resists a problem but he gives grace 144 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:25.040 to the humble. Now some of you think, you know, 145 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:28.480 if I admit my sins to God, I'm gonna get punished. Oh, 146 00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:31.240 hang on a minute. First place, God already knows them all. 147 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:34.039 You're not gonna say, God, I did this. You go, 148 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:38.200 Oh really, how did I miss that one? Didn't see 149 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:41.000 that one coming. God already knows every stupid thing you've 150 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:43.200 done in your entire life. He just wants you to 151 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:45.919 admit it. It's for your own humility. How does God 152 00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:51.320 respond when I humbly admit I blew it with punishment? Never, 153 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:56.799 when God hears you be humble, he responds not with punishment, 154 00:08:57.080 --> 00:09:03.960 but with blessings, with forgiving, with mercy, with grace. It's 155 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:05.799 not like I come and I admit it, then God's 156 00:09:05.799 --> 00:09:08.320 gonna take me down. No, no, you're gonna get taken 157 00:09:08.360 --> 00:09:11.120 down by your own pride. God says, you come to 158 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:13.240 me humbly and you just admit, Hey, I blew it. 159 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:15.279 You know that stuff I said yesterday, it wasn't right, 160 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:17.320 that stuff I did to the way I talked to 161 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:19.320 my kids, That was not right the way I did this, 162 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:21.960 And they just admitted to God. You keep short accounts, 163 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:25.600 this is the sixth thing you do. I humbly confess. Now, 164 00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:28.399 the word confess in the Bible, the Greek word is 165 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:34.600 the word homo logeo. Homo means same homo sapian homogenized 166 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:41.600 milk means it's all the same homo same logeo means 167 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:44.519 to speak, and so to confess theimply means to speak 168 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:46.600 the same thing about God. You're right, that was the sin. 169 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:50.279 I don't excuse it, don't. I don't make excuses for it. 170 00:09:50.279 --> 00:09:52.399 I don't say God, that was a little faux pas 171 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:55.000 is a little weakness. No, it was wrong. It was sin. 172 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:58.080 It was rebellion against you. I did it. You told 173 00:09:58.120 --> 00:09:59.600 me not to do it, but I did it anyway. 174 00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:03.840 And that kind of thing God responds to with grace. 175 00:10:04.440 --> 00:10:09.440 Now in Daniel, chapter five, now nine, verse five, he says, this, 176 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:12.840 we've sinned and we've done wrong. Okay, this is the 177 00:10:12.840 --> 00:10:15.200 sixth part of the prayer. I humbly confess, but I've 178 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:17.320 done wrong. We've send it none wrong. But he doesn't 179 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:19.919 stop there. He gets very very specific, and you need 180 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:22.159 to too. You don't need to go, Oh, God, forgive 181 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.360 all the sins I did yesterday. But I'm too busy 182 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:27.600 to name them. God wants you to be specific, because 183 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:29.440 then he wants you to be able to know what 184 00:10:29.639 --> 00:10:32.679 not to do again. And so I want you to circle. 185 00:10:32.679 --> 00:10:34.440 I'm just going to read these verses real quick. I'm 186 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:36.440 not even going to comment on them, and I want 187 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:39.480 you to circle the verbs which are the sins. Okay. 188 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:41.279 He says we've sinned it none wrong. Then he says 189 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:45.559 we've rebelled against you. That's one rebelled circle that we've 190 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:50.360 rebelled against you. He says, we've ignored your commands. Circle ignored. 191 00:10:51.879 --> 00:10:54.759 He says, we've rejected your laws. We made up our 192 00:10:54.759 --> 00:10:58.879 own morality. We've rejected your laws. He says, we have 193 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:04.080 refused to listen to your servants, the prophets, refused who 194 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:06.720 spoke the message to our kings and our leaders and 195 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:10.080 our parents and everybody else in our nation. He says, 196 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:13.360 this is very specific. We're all at fault here, every generation. 197 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:16.360 It's not like one generation. Every generation's got part of 198 00:11:16.360 --> 00:11:19.000 the blame. And then in verse seven and eight, he 199 00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:23.440 says this, we've brought disgrace and shame on ourselves as 200 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:26.480 a nation because we've been unfaithful to you. He said, 201 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:29.639 you know what, God, we've committed spiritual adultery. We gave 202 00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:31.399 our love to somebody else when we're supposed to give 203 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:34.960 our love to you. We've been unfaithful to you. And 204 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:38.279 he said this is true of all of us, including 205 00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:42.840 our kings, our leaders, and our parents. He said, we 206 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.159 next verse verse ten, we paid no attention to you 207 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:48.720 when you told us how to live. You told us 208 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:52.000 what's right and wrong, what's morally good. Not so this 209 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:55.600 clear teaching came through your promise verse thirteen, but we 210 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:58.720 kept on sinning. We never gave you a second thought. 211 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:04.559 You're oblivious to you the clear warnings. So God, he says, 212 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:09.720 you had no choice but to let disaster loose in 213 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:15.639 our nation on us, since we persistently and defiantly ignored you. 214 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:17.840 And then he sums it all up in verse sixteen, 215 00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:24.279 and he says, and now all the other nations mock us. 216 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:31.440 Does any of this sound vaguely familiar to you? Now? 217 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:36.919 Daniel knows we don't deserve God's blessing, but he casts 218 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:39.360 himself on the grace of God. He goes, God, we 219 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:41.240 could never earn this, we could never deserve this. We 220 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:43.879 don't deserve to get back to home, get back to you. 221 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:47.600 We don't deserve your blessing, but I'm going to cast 222 00:12:47.639 --> 00:12:50.240 myself on your mercy. And in the next verse, he 223 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:57.080 says this, Oh God, Oh God, listen to me. Hear 224 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:03.200 my request. We don't ask because we deserve. Out we don't. 225 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:07.240 We don't ask because we deserve, but because you are 226 00:13:07.399 --> 00:13:12.679 so merciful. You are a You're a good, good father, 227 00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:17.639 and you're merciful. Now, how does God respond to this 228 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:21.080 kind of prayer, the six things that we just taught you? Well, 229 00:13:21.360 --> 00:13:26.000 in verse twenty, here's how God responds. Daniel says, well, 230 00:13:26.039 --> 00:13:28.120 I kept on praying. Let me stop right there circle 231 00:13:28.159 --> 00:13:31.639 the phrase kept on. Daniel didn't pray this prayer one time. 232 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:36.279 He's praying it over and over and over and over. God, 233 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:38.399 I need your help. He's praying this over and over. 234 00:13:38.519 --> 00:13:42.120 That's why we're going to seek God for thirty four days. 235 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:46.519 Is your future worth thirty four days? Yes? Is your 236 00:13:46.519 --> 00:13:49.279 future worth having a conversation with God three times a 237 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:51.480 day about for thirty four days before you start the 238 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:54.360 new year? Yes, he said, I kept on praying. If 239 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:56.159 you don't you pray about something one time, you don't 240 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:59.600 care about it. He says, while I kept on praying 241 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:03.879 and confessing my sins and confessing the sins of my 242 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:08.360 people and pleading with the Lord, He's emotional in this. 243 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:14.039 Suddenly the angel Gabriel appeared in my vision. Now you 244 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:17.840 guys know who Gabriel is. There are three arch angels. 245 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:21.879 There was Lucifer, he fell, he became Satan. There's Michael, 246 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:27.360 and there's Gabriel. Gabriels the guy who shows up at Christmas. Hello. OK, 247 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:30.480 so we actually know the names of these guys. And 248 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:35.320 this is so important that God sends the angel Gabriel 249 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:39.480 in a vision to Daniel, and he says, suddenly, while 250 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.840 I'm doing all his praying, the angel Gabriel appeared in 251 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:46.440 my vision and said this, Daniel, I've been sent obviously 252 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:52.720 by God. I've been sent to help you understand God's plan. Now, 253 00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:56.799 the moment you began praying, the answer was given, and 254 00:14:56.840 --> 00:15:00.240 I'm here to tell it to you for God. God 255 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:05.840 loves you very much. Now, God doesn't have to send 256 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:08.559 Gabriel to me, and he doesn't have to send Gabriel 257 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.440 to you because we have the second half of the 258 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:13.320 Bible that was written that tells us all about Jesus, 259 00:15:13.799 --> 00:15:15.639 and so I can tell you right now what God 260 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:18.519 will say to you. I love you very very very 261 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:22.399 very very very much. I feel, very very deeply have 262 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:25.799 deep feelings for you. God says, I saw you born, 263 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:28.240 I saw you grow, I saw all the hurts, I've 264 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:32.039 saw the happy times. I've seen everything in your life. 265 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:33.960 And I have a plan for your life, and I 266 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:37.799 have a timetable for your life. And when you start praying, 267 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:40.480 I heard that prayer, and I want to help you 268 00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:44.600 understand my plan for your life because I love you 269 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.879 very very much. Now you say, well, wait a minute, Rick, 270 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:52.200 this is God talking to Daniel. I'm not Daniel. No, 271 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:55.159 You're not neither am I. But I know this prayer 272 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:57.360 will work for you. And the reason I know it 273 00:15:57.399 --> 00:15:59.960 will work for you is because the exact same four 274 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:04.159 formula is given in another part of the Bible to anybody. 275 00:16:04.279 --> 00:16:07.679 It's to all of God's people. It's called Second Chronicle 276 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:11.240 seven fourteen, one of the most famous promises in the 277 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:15.679 entire Bible. Now, before I read this promise, I want 278 00:16:15.679 --> 00:16:20.080 you to understand it's one of the most misused, misquoted 279 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:23.720 versus in the Bible. I've actually heard politicians quote this 280 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:27.440 verse as a promise to America. It is not a 281 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:31.320 promise to America. It is not a promise to any nation. 282 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:35.559 It is a promise to God's people. And God's people 283 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:38.399 are in every nation. So this is not a promise 284 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:40.639 for America. This is a promise for you and me 285 00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:43.679 and believers anywhere else in any other nation of the world. 286 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.200 And it is for us, it's not for everybody. Second 287 00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:51.279 Chronicle seven fourteen, God says, I got four conditions. If 288 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:54.919 you'll do these four things, I'll do three things. If 289 00:16:55.080 --> 00:17:00.960 my people, if my people who are called by my name, 290 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:03.679 are you called my name? Are you called a Christian? 291 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:06.839 That's been called by the name of Christ. So if 292 00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:08.880 you're a Christian, you call yourself a Christian. If my 293 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:11.960 people who are called by my name, and here are 294 00:17:12.000 --> 00:17:16.839 the four things, will humble themselves that's confession, and pray, 295 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:20.880 that's pleading, and seek my face. We're going to do 296 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:24.440 that for thirty four days, and turn from their wicked ways. 297 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:28.960 Then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sins, 298 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:34.839 and I will heal their land. All of the elements 299 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:37.599 of Daniel's prayer are in that promise. And for thirty 300 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:41.880 four days, we're going to claim that promise. Anybody with me, 301 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:51.759 anybody with me? Okay, okay. God says that I don't 302 00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:54.480 know what you need. Healing in, healing in your mind, 303 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:58.279 healing in your heart, healing in your body, healing in 304 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:02.319 your business, healing in your finance, healing in your relationships, 305 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:09.079 healing of your fears. Your business needs healing, your family 306 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:14.319 needs healing, your marriage needs healing, your nation needs healing. 307 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:24.640 If my people who are called by my name, God says, 308 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:30.480 will humble themselves, I blew it, Lord, I just blew it, 309 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:36.599 and pray. I am pleading God. I did not seek you, 310 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:38.279 and I made a bunch of dumb decisions and I'm 311 00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:41.920 paying for it. Well, humble themselves and pray and seek 312 00:18:42.039 --> 00:18:44.680 my face. You got my attention. God, I'm looking at you. 313 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.920 And turn from their ways, they're wicked ways. Then I 314 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:54.759 will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sins, and 315 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:59.519 I will heal their land. Period done. That's it, So 316 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:04.119 let's pray. Dear God. I thank you that you're a 317 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:08.440 good and gracious God. And as we get ready to 318 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:13.359 together as a family to claim second Chronicle seven fourteen, 319 00:19:14.039 --> 00:19:17.319 and as we begin to go through in a couple 320 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:22.759 of weeks, the thirty four Days of Seeking You, that 321 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:26.000 we will make a habit out of having conversations with 322 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:30.599 you and reading your word every day. You've promised that 323 00:19:30.680 --> 00:19:33.799 if we stay connected to you, and that if we 324 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:37.599 have your word in our hearts, that we can ask 325 00:19:37.640 --> 00:19:42.000 what we will and it will be done. I thank 326 00:19:42.039 --> 00:19:44.720 you for these people who are here. They love you, 327 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:49.160 They're good people. They want to do what's right. If 328 00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:50.720 they weren't interested into them, it's right, they're going to 329 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:54.200 have stayed home and watch TV today. But they're here 330 00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:56.359 and it says that their heart is in the right direction. 331 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:01.920 So I ask you on their behalf to hear their 332 00:20:01.960 --> 00:20:09.200 prayers for Jesus sake. Now you pray, say God, I 333 00:20:09.240 --> 00:20:13.240 want to learn to seek you. I want to be 334 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:16.480 a part of thirty four days of Seeking God. I 335 00:20:16.519 --> 00:20:19.519 want to build a habit that I don't ever go 336 00:20:19.599 --> 00:20:23.079 to bed at night, even if I've only read the 337 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:25.240 Bible for one minute and prayed for one minute. I 338 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:28.039 don't put my head on the pillow without at least 339 00:20:28.119 --> 00:20:33.839 one conversation with you. Help me to see that your 340 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:38.680 plan for my life involves your timing and my praying, 341 00:20:40.200 --> 00:20:43.759 and that many times I have not because I ask God, 342 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.160 teach me how to focus my attention on you. God, 343 00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:53.279 it's so easy to get distracted in this world. I 344 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:57.839 want to turn my face to you, and Lord, teach 345 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:01.559 me how to talk to you with emotion, to be 346 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:05.680 authentic and real, not phony and fake. I me to 347 00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:09.119 realize that my tone and my heart are more important 348 00:21:09.160 --> 00:21:11.839 than the words. Thank You, that my prayer doesn't have 349 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:15.839 to be beautiful and sound great. It just has to 350 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:21.319 be honest and real. Lord, break my heart over the 351 00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:25.039 things that break your heart. Teach me to pour out 352 00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:28.480 my heart to you. And yes, even if tears come, 353 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:33.319 so be it. God. I've wandered away and I'm not 354 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:34.799 as close to you as I've been in the past. 355 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:41.599 I want to start back home again today. Help me 356 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:45.480 to demonstrate my seriousness by even willing to be willing 357 00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:48.319 to go without food, to show as a symbol as 358 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:53.640 a sign that I'm serious about what I'm praying about. 359 00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:59.119 Thank you for loving me, God, Thank you for your promises. 360 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:02.920 Thank you that you are faithful when I'm unfaithful. You're 361 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:06.359 consistent when I'm inconsistent. Thank You that when I come 362 00:22:06.359 --> 00:22:10.000 and I humble myself to you, and I admit what 363 00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:13.599 I've done wrong, and I admit my rebellion. You don't 364 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:17.920 punish me, but you forgive me, and you wrap me 365 00:22:18.119 --> 00:22:25.160 in your embrace. God, we ask you to work in 366 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:28.799 our hearts and lives. If you've never invited Christ to 367 00:22:28.839 --> 00:22:30.720 your life, said Jesus Christ, I ask you to come 368 00:22:30.759 --> 00:22:34.599 into my heart and life right now. Make yourself real 369 00:22:34.680 --> 00:22:38.440 to me. I want to learn to trust you, and 370 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:41.680 I want you to be the manager. Dear Jesus Christ, 371 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:45.960 the manager of my life. And I pray this humbly 372 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:49.440 in your name. Amen. 373 00:22:54.519 --> 00:22:57.119 Hey, if you've just prayed along with Rick to accept 374 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:00.440 Jesus in your life, Rick would love to hear from you. 375 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:04.599 Just email Rick at Pastorick dot com. We'll send you 376 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:08.920 free tools to help start your relationship with Jesus. And 377 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:11.480 now here's Rick to tell you how you can partner 378 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:14.160 with Daily Hope to take the word of God to 379 00:23:14.279 --> 00:23:14.799 the world. 380 00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:18.319 There are nearly eight billion people on this planet, and 381 00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:20.519 God wants us to reach every one of them with 382 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:25.559 the Gospel. Jesus said, go and make disciples of all nations, 383 00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:28.240 baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son. 384 00:23:28.279 --> 00:23:31.160 And the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything 385 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:34.680 I've commanded you, and surely I'm with you always to 386 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:38.799 the very end of the age. That's called the Great Commission. 387 00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:42.200 It often seems like mission impossible, But if we'll work 388 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:45.559 together to fulfill the Great Commission, God will turn it 389 00:23:45.799 --> 00:23:49.039 into the great completion. You know, the Bible says that 390 00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:52.039 in heaven, an enormous crowd of people from every race, 391 00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:55.599 every tribe, every nation, in every language will one day 392 00:23:55.640 --> 00:23:59.000 stand before Jesus Christ to worship him. That's in Revelation 393 00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:03.079 chapter seven, verse And that's why I'm asking you, friends, 394 00:24:03.400 --> 00:24:09.319 to partner with Daily Hope by becoming a partner in Hope. 395 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:11.440 What is a partner in Hope? Well, right now, we're 396 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:13.920 able to take the good News of Jesus into almost 397 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:17.599 every country of the world, including regions where it's difficult 398 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:20.960 or dangerous to share the gospel. But thanks to your 399 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:25.480 prayers and your financial support, we reach millions of people 400 00:24:25.599 --> 00:24:31.759 around the world every month through radio, the Internet, podcasting, TV, 401 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:36.240