[0:00] Hallelujah! We thank God you have tuned into this message by David Entry at Carish Church. No hand can help you with the fulfillment of your destiny but the Word of God.
[0:11] May God's hand align with you further into your destiny through this Word. Colossians chapter 4, reading from verse 1 to 6.
[0:23] Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a master in heaven. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
[0:39] Without praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak, walking in wisdom towards them that are without, redeeming the time.
[1:05] Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with souls, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
[1:16] Here ends the reading of God's Holy Word. Father, thank you so much for gathering us and bringing us together on a special day like this to hear your Word and to hear from you and to fellowship.
[1:31] We pray that as we hear your Word, we pray that give us opened ears. Give us circumcised ears. Give us the ears that are ready to hear and speak to us.
[1:47] As your Word is taught, let there be deliverance. Let the brokenhearted be healed. Let the captives be set free. Let the sick be healed.
[1:59] Let the oppressed go free. Let the sinning be convicted. Let the lost be saved. So your name will be glorified.
[2:10] We pray that as we hear your Word, give us the privilege to actually get into your Word and grant us the understanding that the Holy Spirit can only give.
[2:23] And Spirit of God, as your Word is taught, enter into us and make us greater vessels than we came in. We give you glory in Jesus' name. Amen.
[2:34] Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen. God is good. All the time. He's better than that. He's better than that. God is good. He's better than that.
[2:45] Hallelujah. Well, Colossians, last week, we spoke about the superior ethical relationship of the believer, which stems from holding Christ as our head and taking Him as our lives by letting God's Word dwell in us.
[3:08] So the Christian life is lived based on how the peace of God becomes an arbitrator in your heart. the Word of God dwells in your heart, which allows Christ to be the governing authority of your life.
[3:25] And when that happens, it produces a certain result in your life that becomes more spontaneous than programmed or targeted.
[3:39] So, when you look at what I was teaching last, in our previous session, you find out that the Bible said that husbands love your wives.
[3:52] Wives, wives, submit to your husbands. Husbands, love your wives. Children, obey your parents. Fathers, don't provoke your children.
[4:04] Servants, obey your masters. And doing this in the fear of the Lord, and it says, masters, chapter 4, verse 1, masters, be careful how you treat them, knowing that you also have a master.
[4:17] You know, and these are all ethical relationships. Now, watch this very carefully. This is the way God or Christ can manifest his glory in human vessels.
[4:34] If you want to really see Christ at work, don't look for angels. Angels are most unqualified to reflect the life of Christ.
[4:44] You want to see Christ, where is Christ? He's in heaven. But he's not just in heaven. He's in heaven living his life on earth. How is he living his life on earth?
[4:57] Through a husband. Through a wife. Through a son or a child. A son or a daughter. Through a mother or a father. Through an employer and an employee.
[5:10] Through a boss and a subordinate. That's how Christ has decided that if you want to see me, look at a husband. So then, the Christian husband becomes the most suitable vessel for God to be seen at work amongst human lives.
[5:33] Are you getting what I'm saying? So, people shouldn't look any far from you who is indwelt by the spirit of God to see how Christ will actually manifest himself.
[5:49] Angels are not necessary. God does not use angels for this kind of things. Bible says in John chapter one verse 14, and the word became flesh. It is not the word became spirit.
[6:02] Angels are spirits. Bible calls them ministering spirits. spirits. Hebrew chapter one, verse 40. They are ministering spirits sent to serve the heirs of salvation.
[6:16] They are ministering sent forth to minister to those who inherit salvation. Ministering spirits. Angels are not embodied beings. So, the word becoming flesh, you are the one who can actually reflect Christ.
[6:35] you as a husband. The reason why you are a husband is so that Christ can be reflected. The reason why you are a wife is so that Christ can be manifested.
[6:47] Christ can be manifested through that child. Not a child or children as child, child, children. It's that children obey your parents.
[7:02] And fathers, employers, employees. Some employers are so mean. A Christian employer, it must come true.
[7:16] There must be bowels of mercy and a certain Christ-like manifestation that people, if you don't have to even say you are a Christian, just know that this man is such a different person.
[7:30] He's not just kind, he's not just good, but there is something about him. It doesn't take angels for Christ to be manifested. It takes a wife.
[7:41] So, watch this. It talks about how by way of doctrine, Christ is the center of everything. And this Christ who is the center of everything in Christianity, he's above any other thing.
[7:54] Don't compare him to anything. He's the firstborn of creation. He's first amongst the rest. Christ is different than him being the head of the church. Him being the life of the church.
[8:06] Then, because he's the life of the church, when you come into the church and you are part of the church life, Christ should be seen in the church because he's the life of the church. How come you are part of the church?
[8:16] So, okay, where is the Christ that is supposed to be the life of the church? If you are part of the church, then the life of the church should find an expression in you. Now, it can only find an expression in you when the peace of God is really in your heart, in our fellowship and in your life.
[8:35] And then the word of Christ dwelling in you richly. Then it affords the opportunity for us to suddenly begin to see the life of Christ manifesting in that husband, in that wife. Everybody is somebody, some way.
[8:51] After church, you are somebody, some way. Right? After church, you are a passenger on the train. Or you are a driver on the road. You are a student in the school. You are a teacher in the school.
[9:05] You are a businessman. You are a trader. After church, you are something. You are somebody. Even those of us who are doing the work of God full time, after church, I am a husband. I am a father.
[9:19] I am a neighbor. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. A neighbor. So if the word of Christ dwells in you richly, it is supposed to find an expression in your life, in your ethical relationships.
[9:36] Right. Right. So that Christian life, that doesn't show in your relationships. It's a funny one. All right. So Colossians goes on to talk about verse 2, chapter 4.
[9:47] It says that, continue earnestly in prayer. This is so strong. This is so strong.
[9:57] Continue. Continue. Everybody say continue. Continue. Continue. Please say it again. Continue. Continue earnestly in prayer. After he spoke about our ethical relationships, the next thing he went on is what is coming out of her mouth.
[10:14] It says that continue. Continue. Prayer is not a hit and run thing because there's a spiritual dimension of life. Most of all that is going on in the world, there's a spiritual dimension to it.
[10:29] Most of all that is going on in our country, in our nation, in our city. Most of all those things, there is the prince of Tertia. There's prince behind it.
[10:40] Spiritual authorities behind these things. And those are the things we deal with. Because it says that, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, talking about prayer, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, or in heavenly places.
[11:01] So, it's important to understand the place of prayer in the believer's life. Jesus taught us to pray. In fact, in Luke chapter 11, the Bible says, One day he was praying, and when he had finished, his disciples came to him and said to him, Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples to pray.
[11:22] Why? Because they realized that prayer was a necessary part of Jesus' life. Statistics show that many Christians pray less than five minutes a day.
[11:37] Many Christians. Not even, don't think about other people, just think about yourself. Many Christians pray less than five minutes, and someone even said, actually to have one minute a day is a luxury.
[11:52] And many pastors pray less than 10 minutes. Because of so many things that we can be encumbered with, without prioritizing a time with God.
[12:05] Look at someone of a different religion says that, God first. Meanwhile, pastors will tell you family first. Family first, God next. Who sets that order?
[12:18] Family first, God next. Or, it is a God first. Family next, and church. You separate church and God. What kind of church life is that then? In what way does God become first, and his work becomes third?
[12:36] I mean, I don't understand people. That's what we should do. Have time for your family, please. Don't jump the gun. It's not got anything to do with that. If you say God first, like, if I separate God and church, why would I come to church?
[12:52] I'll stay home and say, I'm reading my Bible. Oh, Lord, thank you. Thank you for such a bright day. You are such a good God to me. That doesn't make God first. It's actually you first.
[13:03] When it's God first, it's asking for sacrifices in your life for the things of God, for the work of God, for the purposes of God. You're actually not working for God until you can contextualize it within the church settings and the purpose of God through the church.
[13:23] Because if I say God first, how do I separate that from my church life? Are you getting what I'm saying? How do I separate that? And then they say, God first.
[13:34] And some pastors will say, many pastors have married the church. They are committed adultery. By marrying the church, they have left their way. The church is Christ's wife, but they have married.
[13:46] How do you do that? How do you do that? Some of these, you can understand what people mean when they say some of these things. But sometimes, it's creating a platform for deviation from what God has called us to do.
[14:01] A typical example is in the late 90s that people started talking about what's the point of being a heavenly bounded and earthly of no use.
[14:14] because people were always talking about heaven. I live for heaven. I live for heaven. And when pastors became so interested in material things, they started telling people, don't just live for heaven.
[14:25] We are on earth now. Begin to live for earth. Begin to live for earth. Believe God for breakthrough. Believe the prosperity gospel. Believe God for that. Believe God for that. So it deviated people's focus from pressing like last Sunday's teaching.
[14:38] Paul said, I press on towards the mark. Most people stop pressing towards the mark. They'll tell you, I'm living my life here. I want my breakthrough here now, not heaven. So pastors then came out with statements like, what's the point in being heavenly bounded and earthly no use?
[14:54] To the extent that there's a whole generation who have been raised and they don't even think heaven. They don't know anything about heaven. There's no eschatological dimension to their Christian life. Modern day Christians don't think about that.
[15:08] That's why your sacrifices are so minimal. But if you think more about heaven, you don't care what you suffer on earth for the cause of God. So, how can you be heavenly bound and earthly no use?
[15:24] From even what we have just learned from Colossians, how can you be earthly no good? Earthly no use? How can you be so heavenly minded that it's not having a reflection on your relationship with your wife or your relationship with your work or your relationship with your neighbors?
[15:41] How can you be so? So it's a tautology. But if you are not careful, it is presented as though that, you know, it's a possibility that you are so much full of heaven.
[15:52] You know, anyone who is so spiritual, I'm about to make a very important statement. The more spiritual you are, the easier it is to live with you. In what sense?
[16:04] You are, the more spiritual you are, the better husband you are. The more spiritual you are, the better employer or employee, the better neighbor you are.
[16:17] People who say they are so spiritual, oh, they don't talk to anybody, they don't have any relationship, it's just me and God, oh, these people are devils. They're actually no spiritual.
[16:29] Someone says, I'm telling me, I go, Pastor, I have to go to work but I don't like it because I just want to stay at home reading my Bible and pray, oh, I love God. I want to pray, oh, meanwhile the Bible says that he does not, who does not work, must not eat.
[16:43] So I'm wondering what Bible you are reading. So you realize that you are getting something wrong. Your definition of spirituality is mysticism. Mysticism.
[16:55] Mystic. Looking very, very mystical. But you're not spiritual. Because the more spiritual you are, the more you are ready to jump on the train. The more you are ready to wake up and pass your exam, you too.
[17:13] Is that one guy? You keep failing exam in the name of spirituality, you are not spiritual. Because it says to your faith, I abert you.
[17:25] So which Bible are you reading that, you are not seeing that one. That means your spirituality is anemic. Because if it's comprehensive, you will see the other bits. You will see how it says you should relate with your father, with your mother, with your neighbors, with your husband, with your wife, for Christ to be glorified.
[17:45] Am I okay at all? Spirituality. Let's redefine spirituality. Spirituality. Let's redefine spirituality.
[17:57] So, it's important to understand, it says that we should pray endlessly, continue endlessly in prayer. Continue endlessly in prayer.
[18:09] They came to Jesus because they noticed Jesus was always praying. So they actually says, Master, teach us to pray. Ask John taught his disciples to pray. And then he told them when you pray, say our father who art in heaven.
[18:23] He taught them to pray. And then Luke chapter 18, verse 1, he says, Jesus told them a parable to the effect that men always ought to pray.
[18:33] That's the key one. So prayer life is not once in a while. Most of us pray when we need God to help us.
[18:45] Prayer shouldn't be only when we are in need, when we are in trouble. We tend to do well in prayer when things are rocking us.
[18:57] Things are not going well. But in Thessalonians, it says, pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 17. Let's all say it together.
[19:07] Pray without ceasing. Let's read it out loud. Pray without ceasing. For the last time, louder. Pray without ceasing. Prayer must be continuous.
[19:19] Pray without ceasing. We must always be in a prayerful mood. Look for any opportunity to pray. Spend time praying. Start with a few minutes and keep increasing it.
[19:33] I know we are very busy, but if you are so busy, you don't get to eat. You will end up spending so much time in the hospital. So, it's better to do the things that are necessary to keep you going.
[19:49] You know, so, it says, pray without. Jesus taught them to pray continuously. It's a human thing to faint when it comes to prayer.
[20:02] Prayer can do so much for a believer, you know. Prayer can do so much. So, it says that continue in prayer. Acts 1, verse 14, they went, all of them, and they continued in prayer.
[20:15] They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. So, we have to continue in prayer. Don't be weary.
[20:26] So, that's the point Jesus made in Luke chapter 18. He told the parable to the effect that men always ought to pray and not to faint. In other words, you can be weary. You can, guess what time you are, you just, how many of you have ever felt like, I really don't feel like praying at all?
[20:44] It's natural. One thing that makes prayer a bit difficult is you are talking to somebody you can't see. And you don't even know whether he's hearing, he's listening or not.
[20:57] And he's not saying anything back. And you have to just be in one place or something and try and talk to try and talk. It's, it's, it's, to be honest, that's why it takes faith.
[21:10] It takes faith to be prayerful. Let's all say that together. It takes faith to be prayerful. Let's say it again. It takes faith to be prayerful. I know you are saying, I'm a woman of faith.
[21:24] Show it by your prayerful life. It takes faith to be prayerful. So, prayer can be a bit daunting. And I don't know how many of you have ever felt that before.
[21:36] Maybe particularly when you are going, you're supposed to go for a prayer meeting or engage in some prayer and that day everything goes wrong and you really don't feel like it's and it's hard but because of maybe commitment you have to get up and do it.
[21:50] And most of the time when you persevere, you push through. The result of the prayer is amazing. It's like, wow, certain new, this prayer will take you to another level.
[22:03] So, you find every means to disrupt you. Anytime you want to pray, there will always be some distractions. Sometimes, your phone will not ring so you are about to pray.
[22:15] That's when messages are coming in, all kinds of notifications, even notification of something, an app you have never used. Suddenly, it begins to come up and different, different things.
[22:29] So, sometimes, switch off your phone. Switch off your phone. I don't understand why people keep their phones on when they are in church. I'm just, think about it.
[22:41] I find it, for me, not you, I find it unethical to go to a church service. Me, no, I'm not saying you because some of you, maybe you are on call.
[22:53] Different things. But as soon as I enter into a service, anytime I'm about to enter into a service, not our church alone, anywhere, my phone goes off. I put it on flight mode.
[23:04] So, no Wi-Fi, no nothing. I don't need it. Because I'm in the presence of God. The one I have to hear from is God.
[23:16] You might have a different opinion, and that's fine. But it's my show with time, with your results. In God. Sometimes it's worth giving God your undivided attention.
[23:31] Wrapped attention. Some people might keep their phones on because of some necessities. So, you can't just say a blanket statement is wrong. But I, in church, can you imagine I'm preaching, and oh, my phone is, excuse me, guys, hello, hello, I'm in church.
[23:51] Listen, I'm preaching. I'll call you back, okay? Hello! I can't condemn it, but it's just a mystery to me. So, for goodness, because there are so many things that are vying for your attention.
[24:09] And when you want to focus on God, there's so many things that will distract you. So, sometimes you have to also put in systems to minimize the distractions. Put in systems to me.
[24:20] Other than that, you won't be able to do it. You will not be effective. So, it must be your personal principle to put in systems. Maybe your phone might be not church, but you want to pray.
[24:30] You wake up in the morning. You want to spend some time, 10 minutes of prayer, or 50 minutes of prayer. Jesus said, could you not have me pray for one hour? So, the list is one hour. For the 10 minutes, for the five minutes, switch off your phone, or just leave your phone some way.
[24:45] Most of us, even the phone cannot allow you to pray. You are reading your Bible, and you are reading it on your phone. And your phone is on.
[24:55] Your emails are coming through everything. Oh, bro. Please. Please. Be real. You are not being serious. Be real. Be real. Don't wait for a terrible medical diagnosis before you begin to take the important things serious.
[25:13] Don't wait. Keep those fears and make it a lifestyle, and your life doesn't become an emergency at any circumstance. So, it's important. I want to encourage all of us.
[25:25] He said, continue in prayer. And he says, endlessly. So, number one, prayer, we must pray how often we should continue.
[25:36] So, don't break the continuum. And then, he says, endlessly, intensely. Avoid unnecessary distractions. Avoid unnecessary distractions.
[25:48] Or distractions. So, you can pray. So many things can distract you. When you are a mother, a nursing mother, it's understandable. You have to allow that distraction because it's also spiritual.
[26:01] It's just reasonable. It's not necessary. But there are times where I heard about, is it John Wesley's mom? She was very religious or spiritual.
[26:11] She doesn't joke with her prayer time. You know, with children in the house, so many distractions. But there are times the children know, mommy, you can't go to mommy. Why? Because she had this shawl that she would cover herself in a corner at a certain time of the day.
[26:26] And children know, no one comes to distract him. Because mommy is talking to God. And the children know, oh, mommy, mommy. Hey, mommy is not. He's talking to God. So, you can't go there now. For that 10 minutes, or for that 15 minutes, or whatever time it is, the children grew up knowing that it is part of a busy schedule to have time with God.
[26:46] The difference between Christianity and religion is Christianity is not so much about legalism. That if you don't pray at this time, your God is very upset with you. Why didn't you pray, Sissi?
[26:59] No, no, no. It's a religion. God will be very upset. But because of that, we also then slide, we slide so low into apostasy and into license.
[27:14] We have liberty, but no license. From legalism, instead of staying in liberty, we go into license. I'm free to do anything. Free.
[27:24] So, please, remember, prayer must be constant. Tell someone, pray. Pray. Pray. Pray. Pray. Pray. Make it a commitment.
[27:35] Like the ways, I cannot put it this way in my time. Some of us made a commitment to be in church regularly. Hello? Being in church didn't come on you like a coat. You go to a time you decided, you know what?
[27:48] I'll meet up my mind. I'll be going to church regularly. In the same way, now take it further. Make up your mind. I'll pray regularly. Deal or no deal? Deal. Make up your mind.
[28:00] You'll pray regularly. You'll just pray. I don't know what to pray about. We gave a prayer topic. If there's nothing to pray about at all, let's pray for revival.
[28:11] One of the best prayers that I can encourage any well-meaning Christian to pray, pray that God will use you. There's nobody who is disqualified from God using them.
[28:22] No single human being born again is unusable by God. No human being. Just that most of us are not interested. Or most of our spirituality is so low. Our spiritual tempo is so low.
[28:35] Water table is so low. The desire to even want God to use you is never there. But God wants to use you. He doesn't have to use you as a preacher before a congregation.
[28:46] But there are so many ways God can use you to push his own agenda. And he will reward you for that. So pray that God use me. I know you have, God do this for me.
[28:56] God do this for me. Start also amending the prayer to factor or as you are growing, maybe when you start a prayer, nine out of your ten points, nine out of it, say God me, God me.
[29:09] As you are growing, God, and then the last one is God you. What do you want? But as you are growing, the me begins to reduce. And what do you want begins to increase.
[29:21] is to get to a time where your prayer is now, when you start praying God. God. You are praying the will of God. You are praying the purpose of God. Can I show you something? Look at the text again in chapter four, Colossians, verse two and three.
[29:35] Look at the verse three. Very interesting text. Now let's start from verse two. Let's all read it. All right, let's go. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in the same.
[29:47] Okay, I'll come back to that. Now let's go to verse three. Let's go. Me now, pray also for us that God will open to us a door for the world to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am.
[30:00] This is so funny. Why is he in prison? He told you why he's in prison. For preaching. And anybody in prison, if you are asking for, or anyone who is sick, when you are in prison and you want someone to pray for you, what would be your prayer topic?
[30:16] Please. Pray that I'll be released. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. That would be your first prayer topic. Should we pray? What should we pray about? Even, you don't have to ask the person, what should we pray about?
[30:27] You know that you have to pray that they'll be released. If there's someone who is in hospital, pray for the person. You are not praying for money and car. First thing, pray that the person will be released. In the same way, someone has a court case and it's a court, it's in court, and the person said, pray for me.
[30:43] Obviously. Pray for me that I will win. Paul is in prison. He should say, pray for me that I'll be released. No. He said, pray for me so I'll preach. But what put me in prison?
[30:53] I want to live in... It's in your Bible that God would open to us a door for the word to speak the mystery of Christ for which I'm in prison.
[31:11] I want to speak it. What brought me to prison? Prison won't stop me. Pray that I'll be emboldened to be able to speak more. To speak more. Do you see some mature believer, his prayer is now more about God's purpose than his convenience, than his comfort.
[31:27] God first. Someone say God first. God first. Say God first. God first. Say it again. God first. God first. God first. Bishop Aedipo puts it this way.
[31:39] He said, if you put God first in life, you will never be last in life. There's no way you'll be last in life if you put God first in life. So prayer, it should be, we should begin to pray a certain type of prayer that has God's agenda, God's interest at heart.
[31:59] Pray for the church. Paul said, pray for us. And then, let me add this and I can end. He was specific. Don't say, God, I pray for everything.
[32:12] And everything you know. God, you know it all. God, no, no. He said, pray for us. Pray for, also for us that God will.
[32:24] It's also a direct topic. Mention name and that, this is what should happen. Let this happen. Let this be. Let that be. Let that be.
[32:34] Begin to, and you know what? I think it's just a healthy Christian practice to have a prayer journal. Prayer journal. And write your prayer point. So when you are reading your Bible like today, in Psalm 82, I came across this text that says that, ye are gods, but you will die like near men.
[32:55] Hey! So, a prayer topic, God, help me not to die like a Myanmar. So whatever that constitutes, Lord, help me that I will live a certain divine status that I don't end up suffering unnecessarily like other people.
[33:13] So when, when you are reading your Bible, look out for prayer topics. Because God says, reason with me. So, whatever God's word has said, convert it in prayer.
[33:25] Add it to your prayer list. And then, don't forget to watch out for the answers. And when the answer happens, verse 2, it said, watching therein.
[33:37] So as you are afraid about your job, many believers forget to say thanks, come back to say thanks. That's why you haven't shared that testimony. I know. That's why you haven't shared that testimony.
[33:50] People want to look so powerful throughout. So, even when God has done something for you, you are ashamed to give him the thanks. He said, pray continuously or continue in prayer and watching therein.
[34:07] Watching in the same with thanksgiving. Watch and give thanks. Have the prayer list and watch the ones that you have seen the change and be very quick to say, God has done it.
[34:21] Please, be quick to give the credit to God. That good job, that examination results, that medical report, I know you have been doing physio and things are good now.
[34:34] But don't forget to give credit to God because others did the same physio and more. and yet, they are not physio. So, it says that anything you have prayed about, be ready to give thanks for.
[34:56] Do you understand? God's case, most of the time, how many of you, to be honest, how many of you have prayed about something, answer came and you forgot to say thank you. You just went home.
[35:07] It happens normally. It happens. When you are going for the interview, say, God, God, I pray that this job is mine. And then, you went, you didn't even get home, they called you, that you are the best candidate who will give you the job.
[35:19] Say, thank you. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. I got it. You forgot. You forgot. You forgot to say, God, what can I do to show I'm grateful?
[35:31] What can I do to show I'm grateful? And when you are talking, sometimes, when we listen to you very carefully, we can tell where your heart is. When a child goes to the hospital, I don't know whether they do it for adults too, but I know sometimes the doctor will say, let me see your tongue.
[35:48] They will look at your tongue and tell the condition of your life. Worse. Somebody say, Worse. Worse. With one, only two ways, a judge can determine someone's life.
[36:02] Yeah. With only few ways, a doctor can mess up your mood. Only few ways. Worse. Worse. And he says that when it comes to words, our words should go to God first in prayer.
[36:15] And then, once you have prayed, watch out the same with thanksgiving. Watch with thanksgiving what God has done. Okay, can I say this in ending?
[36:27] You know, some people give testimonies in church, which is a very spiritual thing. Jesus said, were there not, Luke 17, 17, were there not ten healed? Where are the nine?
[36:39] He said, only one person who came to give God glory and give thanks. He said, where are there nine? So, coming back to show that this is what God has done, it's necessary.
[36:50] Coming back to, we prayed for you here and God has done it. Come back and give the glory to God. It's very important. In fact, in the midst, in Acts chapter 27, in the midst of shipwreck, Bible says, Paul took bread and gave thanks.
[37:06] Ah! He gave thanks. He says that we ask for nothing, Philippians chapter 4, but in everything, verse 6, by prayer, prayer himself, with thanksgiving.
[37:19] Thanks is necessary. When he says, watch this, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 17, when he says, pray without ceasing. Look at the next verse. Look at the next verse. In everything, give you thanks.
[37:32] Hallelujah! Someone say, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Say it again, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. And I believe our attitude of thanks only paves the way for God to be able to do some greater things in our lives.
[37:44] Now, it doesn't matter what you are going through. Life can throw all kinds of challenges and difficult times at you, but never be without thanksgiving to God. Because I know, I know, I know you lost your job, but thank God you didn't lose your certificate.
[38:00] I know you lost a friend, but thank God you didn't lose your life. There are so many things we can be thankful for. So many things.
[38:10] And we have to remember to always come back to God with thanks. Now, the point I wanted to make to end here is that most of us will come with our testimony good or not.
[38:24] Very good. Very good. It's called praise reports. I'm telling the congregation. David said, I'll praise you in the midst of the congregation. I'll praise you Psalm 22.
[38:36] In the midst of the congregation, I'll sing. So, in the midst, I'll praise you. However, your thanksgiving shouldn't only be restricted to testimonies.
[38:48] It should be something that is always on your lips. It's about time you begin to announce. Not in a very provocative or obnoxious way, but it should be part of this is what God has done.
[39:05] This is God. You must remind yourself you don't deserve it. Remind yourself you don't deserve it. Remind yourself how far you have come and how worse you could have gotten.
[39:16] Remind yourself and so that by the time you realize it's spontaneous in your language and even if it's not spontaneous, be intentional to remind people that God has helped me. God has helped me.
[39:27] God has helped me. Remember and give God thanks in the same. Watch, continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving. Oh, if I were you, I would say thank you, Jesus.
[39:41] Say thank you, Jesus. Father, come on, lift up your right hand if you can. Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry.
[39:52] We pray you have been strengthened and enlightened. You can connect to David Entry on all relevant social media platforms, including Instagram and LinkedIn. You can also hear more messages from David Entry on all relevant streaming platforms and the Carriage Church app.
[40:07] Don't forget to like and share the message. Be blessed.