WEBVTT

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 You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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 Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

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 Pray with me.

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 Father, there may be no truer statement about us than that one.

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 That we need you every hour.

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 Father, we often don't feel the truth of that.

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 Sometimes we feel it intensely.

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 Would you keep our hearts in a place of dependence on you?

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 Father, in this hour specifically, we need you because we need you to speak to us.

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 We are going to be looking at your word.

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 We want to be guided by your spirit.

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 We want to hear from you and we need to hear from you.

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 And so, Father, would you speak?

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 And would you speak clearly and powerfully and in a way that would alter our hearts?

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 Our hearts need to be changed by your spirit.

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 Would you indeed do that work that you do so well?

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 Would you speak through me?

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 Father, would you speak to me this morning as I need these words desperately myself?

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 And would you make your words clear even when mine aren't?

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 Father, I ask that you would speak.

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 And we ask you in Jesus' name.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Some of you who know me know that it might be fair to describe me as a little bit stuck in my ways.

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 As a guy who likes a good schedule, likes to make plans,

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 and isn't particularly good when those plans are altered.

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 My wife is not in the room anymore since she's teaching kids worship,

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 or she would stand up and tell you that's true.

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 I don't do great with plans being changed.

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 And so, this morning was, like most of the next several weeks,

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 scheduled to be a sermon on Ephesians.

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 And I had no intention of that changing.

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 In fact, that would have been very difficult to convince me there was any good reason to change that.

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 But there's going to be a little bit of a different kind of sermon this morning.

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 Maybe it won't be too weird.

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 But as I prepared for this and considered what God was doing,

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 I kept feeling the Spirit leading me back to prayer.

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 We've talked about it a lot already this morning.

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 We've done it some this morning.

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 But I felt we needed to open God's Word and talk together about prayer.

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 Over the past few weeks, you've heard about prayer a lot, probably.

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 Prayer in sermon applications.

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 Talking about prayer in congregational meetings, in officers' retreats,

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 in search committee reports just this morning.

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 We've said pray in small groups.

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 Pray on Sundays at 8.30.

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 Now come and pray at 10.

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 Pray on second Tuesdays of every month.

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 Pray, pray, pray.

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 And as I thought about that, I thought, those are all great things.

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 And I think, though, many of us receive that in a way that is perhaps not what we would expect.

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 We hear that and no one is upset about that or disagrees that that would be a good idea.

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 But many of us, if we're honest, we think,

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 oh yeah, that's exactly what I expect you to say.

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 I mean, y'all are a church after all.

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 So, of course, you're going to talk about praying.

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 That sounds very spiritual.

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 But it also can sound very impersonal or impractical.

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 I'm so glad you said that.

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 Of course.

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 That's what I would expect you to say.

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 That's standard sermon application.

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 But it doesn't grab your heart at all.

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 And others of us hear that and we're all in.

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 We're marking our calendars.

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 We're going to be there at 8.30 and 10 next Sunday.

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 And we're going to be at all of those prayer times.

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 Because it sounds to us, it sounds right too.

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 We're going to be there.

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 We're going to grab every prayer card and list we can find.

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 But in reality, it doesn't grab your heart at all either.

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 And so I relate to those feelings.

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 I remember as I was coming out of seminary,

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 I heard a lot of professors talking about how important it was to pray.

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 And to pray all the time and to have a life characterized by prayer.

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 And I thought, that sounds very spiritual and very right.

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 I agree with that.

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 In fact, I'm not going to be like all those other guys who say it's important but don't do it.

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 I'm going to be a praying pastor.

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 I was convinced of that coming out of seminary.

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 That would be such a good thing to be.

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 Would be a praying pastor.

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 But that's hard to put on a calendar and call it done.

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 And so you get out of seminary and you go to a church and there's lots of stuff to do.

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 And plus, you know so much at that point at 25 years old.

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 And you've just learned all this wonderful stuff in seminary.

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 And you're ready.

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 So really as things come up, you've pretty much got it for a while.

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 You know?

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 And all of a sudden this idea of being a praying pastor becomes not as important.

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 I understand that feeling of, that sounds right but it doesn't impact me personally.

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 I get that feeling.

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 And so I think it would be good for us to talk for a few minutes about prayer and about what God's Word has to say about it.

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 Because I think as long as it remains one more item on our calendar or our to-do list, it will continue to feel that way.

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 Like the thing you're supposed to say and the thing you're supposed to do.

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 But, you know, really, is He talking to me?

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 God's Word tells us it's much more than that.

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 Look at 1 Thessalonians 5, 17.

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 Just three words.

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 Two in the Greek, actually.

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 Pray without ceasing.

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 Pray unceasingly, the verse says.

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 Pray all the time, right?

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 This is not the only place where God's Word tells us this.

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 Pray without ceasing.

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 In fact, it's rejoice always.

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 It's pray without ceasing.

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 Give thanks in all circumstances.

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 For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

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 Like, did you come to church wanting to know what God wants you to do?

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 All right.

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 Here it is.

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 God wants you to pray all the time.

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 And you're not surprised, are you?

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 Most of you, this may be your first Sunday in a church and you could have told me that, right?

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 Praying, that's a good thing.

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 Yes, God would want me to pray.

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 But what does He mean?

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 Pray without ceasing.

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 Is He exaggerating?

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 I don't think so.

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 There are words in the Greek for often or a lot.

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 And He says unceasingly.

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 Does He mean quit everything else so that you can do nothing but pray the rest of your life?

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 I don't think so.

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 The Bible is clear.

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 We're to do other things with our mouths.

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 To praise God.

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 To rebuke a brother in sin.

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 To give a reason for the hope we have.

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 All of those we're going to do.

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 It's not that we have to continue having words of prayer come out of our mouths every moment of every day.

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 That's not what without ceasing means.

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 What God is teaching us here and in many other places in His Word is that prayer is not merely an activity, but really a lifestyle.

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 It's not only one thing to put on the list, but it's also the way we do everything else on the list.

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 It's an attitude of the heart, a disposition, a mindset with which we approach all of life.

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 That's what praying without ceasing means.

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 That's what's so important for us as a church that we can't miss at any time, especially in a season like this.

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 And when we talk about prayer and prayer, and prayer is a lifestyle God has called us to.

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 I'd say it this way, a praying lifestyle is what it looks like for us really to believe what we say we believe.

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 I mean, churches are pretty good at talking a good game.

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 We've got lots of lists of things we believe, things we think are important, things we all can agree on.

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 It's not too difficult to figure out from the Bible that prayer should be a priority for Christians and churches.

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 But what I'm suggesting is that the nature of our prayer lives reveals a lot about some of the fundamental beliefs that we hold most dear at any church,

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 and particularly at Southwood Presbyterian.

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 What fuels a praying lifestyle?

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 How would that happen that prayer would not be merely an activity, but really a lifestyle?

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 I think three particular beliefs that we hold dear here, that if we really believe them, would fuel our lifestyle of prayer.

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 Three, you notice I'm not going to make this sermon too weird.

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 I don't want to go, you know, three points should keep us on track.

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 So this will be not too unfamiliar to you.

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 The first one, one of the things that we believe passionately is that God is at work.

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 That's foundational.

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 It's the bottom line of what we believe about all of life, that God is in charge and in control.

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 We often call it His sovereignty.

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 That He is the King.

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 He's the one at work.

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 That He's up to something.

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 Sometimes we treat that as something we can just pull out in the hard times and say,

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 you know, God's sovereign.

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 He'll bring something good out of something bad.

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 That's what it means.

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 But it's true all the time, isn't it?

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 That He's always the one working.

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 He's constantly committed to seeing His kingdom advance.

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 He's the one primarily at work.

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 And He's using us as a part of that.

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 But He's up to something.

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 He has been since He created.

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 He's been up to something in this world.

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 He's been on a mission.

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 And we Presbyterians say we believe that.

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 But you know what we usually do?

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 We say that God is the one mostly at work.

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 But we usually plan.

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 And then we think.

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 And then we plan some more.

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 Because we're so smart and organized that we're going to figure it out.

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 And then once we have a good plan, we pray for the plan.

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 Right?

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 Because that's important.

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 You should do that.

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 Listen to the way church historian Richard Loveless says it.

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 But he says something that I think is a good critique for us.

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 Here's where Pentecostals reflect the authentic revival tradition of Protestantism.

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 What he means is here's something the Pentecostals get right that we mess up.

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 When they commence a venture, it is with hours of prayer.

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 While with ordinary evangelicals, he could have said Presbyterians, it is with hours of talk and organization.

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 The result is often that charismatics achieve supernatural results while the rest of us obtain what is organizable.

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 Do you relate to that?

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 Are you very comfortable with what's organizable?

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 I feel kind of a safe place to be.

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 We'll get exactly what we kind of plan out to get and we'll be in control of it.

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 It makes those of us who like control feel really good, doesn't it?

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 Anybody else like that?

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 It's a high level of control.

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 We're often happy with that.

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 We joke that as we entered a season of transition here at Southwood,

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 the first thing we did was create a committee to decide which committees we needed to create.

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 A very, very Presbyterian thing to do, right?

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 You know what would be even more?

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 Presbyterian.

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 Praying.

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 All the time.

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 Because we believe that the vital work that needs to be done is the work done primarily by God rather than us.

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 That He's committed to this.

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 That He's at work.

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 That He's the one in control.

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 You may think that sounds a little bit weird to say that praying would be a very Presbyterian thing to do.

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 Because you may think churches that talk about God's sovereignty, that He's in charge, means there's no need to pray at all.

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 The Bible says exactly the opposite.

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 It says God's sovereignty is the reason we pray.

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 That He's at work and has told us our prayers are part of that work.

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 In fact, that they're powerful and effective.

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 The reason prayer is not a waste of time is that the one to whom we pray is powerful and active.

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 Otherwise, what are we doing?

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 The reason prayer is not wasting your time is that you're praying to the one who's at work.

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 To the one who's powerful and active.

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 That's why I said at the congregational meeting back in February that we don't just pray for the work of the church,

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 but that prayer is the work of the church.

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 It's coming before a sovereign God and pleading with Him.

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 And we struggle to believe that that's true because we struggle to believe that God is the one at work rather than us.

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 That's the truth.

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 Why should we pray without ceasing?

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 Because God never ceases to be sovereign.

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 The one who watches over His people never slumbers nor sleeps.

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 So we should be coming to Him all the time, moment by moment, even when it seems we could rely on our own planning and gifts.

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 Commentator F.F. Bruce writes,

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 I love that description of it.

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 What does it mean to have a spirit of prayer moment by moment?

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 It means that I sense that God's here.

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 That He's at work.

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 And when I feel that, the natural thing to do is to pray.

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 When He's present, I want to talk to Him.

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 I want to ask for His help.

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 This is what happens when we realize God is here and He's at work.

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 Not just in the big things, but in every moment.

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 Do we really believe that He's always with us?

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 That He's always the one at work?

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 Do we really believe He's the one who will enable us to make it through the long day with the kids?

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 That He gives life to dead hearts?

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 That He loves Huntsville more than we do?

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 It doesn't mean we quit forming committees altogether.

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 It means that every committee we form is driven and surrounded by prayer

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 because we believe God's there and He's at work there.

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 And it means He's our hope for that committee.

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 Not that the members are spiritual or smart or savvy,

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 but that He's sovereign.

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 That's why we pray for them.

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 In addition to God's sovereignty,

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 the fact that God is the one at work,

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 another thing we believe deeply is that we are in need.

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 God is at work and we are in need.

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 And I think this is the primary reason why for many of us,

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 prayer remains an activity rather than a lifestyle.

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 Because we struggle regularly to feel our need in a deep way, don't we?

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 Pastor Bert Parsons says,

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 Prayer is hard because coming to the end of ourselves is hard.

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 You feel that?

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 You have a hard time coming to the end of yourself?

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 Do you struggle to pray without ceasing

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 because you don't feel needy without ceasing?

00:15:54.759 --> 00:15:59.259
 Not every moment of every day do I feel desperate for help?

00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:00.320
 I do.

00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:03.139
 That's one of the reasons I struggle with it.

00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:06.080
 You see, if you start reading through the prayers in the Bible,

00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:09.840
 you'll notice really quickly a deep sense of God's sufficiency

00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:13.940
 along with a deep sense of our insufficiency.

00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:16.420
 It's there almost everyone you flip to.

00:16:16.680 --> 00:16:19.100
 A realization of our inadequacy and need.

00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:21.320
 It's the words of Psalm 86.

00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:24.700
 Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I'm poor and needy.

00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:26.899
 That's why I'm praying to you, because I need help.

00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:29.000
 Answer me, God.

00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:29.660
 Help me.

00:16:30.519 --> 00:16:31.879
 We are the ones who need help,

00:16:31.980 --> 00:16:33.280
 who need to be changed.

00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:36.740
 You know, prayer is not primarily about changing God

00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:39.819
 or changing the circumstances of our lives.

00:16:39.939 --> 00:16:42.240
 It's largely about changing us, isn't it?

00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:45.319
 Paul Miller so helpfully says,

00:16:45.699 --> 00:16:48.199
 prayer offers us not a less busy life,

00:16:48.819 --> 00:16:50.220
 but a less busy heart.

00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:53.439
 In the midst of overwhelming circumstances

00:16:53.439 --> 00:16:56.059
 and things that I don't know how to handle,

00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:58.860
 prayer reorients me to a God

00:16:58.860 --> 00:17:02.919
 that I can trust to a posture of dependence on Him.

00:17:04.500 --> 00:17:07.400
 Miller goes on in his book on prayer,

00:17:07.880 --> 00:17:08.319
 and he says,

00:17:08.440 --> 00:17:09.559
 if you're not praying,

00:17:10.940 --> 00:17:12.559
 then you are quietly confident

00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:14.740
 that time, money, and talent

00:17:14.740 --> 00:17:16.339
 are all you need in life.

00:17:18.220 --> 00:17:18.660
 Ouch.

00:17:20.339 --> 00:17:21.420
 That's tough, isn't it?

00:17:21.539 --> 00:17:22.559
 If you're not praying,

00:17:22.660 --> 00:17:23.880
 you're quietly confident

00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:25.299
 that time, money, and talent

00:17:25.299 --> 00:17:26.559
 are all you need in life.

00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:28.420
 You'll always be a little too tired,

00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:29.259
 a little too busy.

00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:31.100
 But if, like Jesus,

00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:33.320
 you realize you can't do life on your own,

00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:34.860
 then no matter how busy,

00:17:34.980 --> 00:17:36.360
 no matter how tired you are,

00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:37.900
 you'll find time to pray.

00:17:38.700 --> 00:17:39.940
 I love this last part.

00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:41.720
 Time in prayer makes you

00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:43.279
 even more dependent on God

00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:45.000
 because you don't have as much time

00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:45.960
 to get things done.

00:17:47.019 --> 00:17:48.940
 I hate that part about prayer.

00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:50.759
 I love getting things done.

00:17:50.820 --> 00:17:51.900
 I'm a list guy.

00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:54.660
 And so any minute that I spend

00:17:54.660 --> 00:17:56.400
 not checking a box on the list

00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:58.560
 is often viewed as a wasted minute.

00:17:59.380 --> 00:18:00.500
 How come we're not getting

00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:01.200
 things accomplished?

00:18:01.340 --> 00:18:02.120
 Where's the efficiency?

00:18:03.300 --> 00:18:04.880
 I hope I'm not the only one

00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:06.160
 that struggles with that.

00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:08.980
 But it doesn't feel productive sometimes

00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:12.019
 because I'm confident on my own.

00:18:12.019 --> 00:18:14.120
 I think if I could just get started

00:18:14.120 --> 00:18:15.780
 using my gifts and my plans,

00:18:15.860 --> 00:18:16.640
 we'd get somewhere.

00:18:17.180 --> 00:18:19.680
 But I slow down to pray.

00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:22.400
 I asked myself this week,

00:18:22.660 --> 00:18:24.779
 was what Miller said really true?

00:18:25.259 --> 00:18:27.460
 Is that how I really view prayer

00:18:27.460 --> 00:18:28.580
 and how it impacts me?

00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:30.680
 And I found it, for me, it really is.

00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:32.120
 It's why I only prayed

00:18:32.120 --> 00:18:33.560
 before the really hard tests

00:18:33.560 --> 00:18:34.860
 when I was in school

00:18:34.860 --> 00:18:36.320
 or sometimes the ones

00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:37.180
 I didn't study for.

00:18:38.120 --> 00:18:39.259
 Then I would pray.

00:18:40.320 --> 00:18:42.759
 It's why you pray before the big game

00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:44.820
 rather than all of them.

00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:47.420
 It's why when I came out of seminary

00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:49.060
 wanting to be a praying pastor,

00:18:49.220 --> 00:18:50.600
 I didn't often hit my knees

00:18:50.600 --> 00:18:52.259
 until I ran out of options,

00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:53.560
 until I'd exhausted

00:18:53.560 --> 00:18:55.000
 all my wealth of wisdom

00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:56.640
 that I'd learned in seminary,

00:18:57.100 --> 00:18:58.200
 until I got overwhelmed

00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:00.039
 and in over my head.

00:19:00.039 --> 00:19:03.920
 It was my need that drove me to prayer.

00:19:04.900 --> 00:19:06.920
 I've seen this again in the past few weeks

00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:09.080
 in the life of this church.

00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:12.660
 You know who's been driving the need?

00:19:13.060 --> 00:19:14.860
 You started to hear things, right?

00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:16.160
 People are talking about prayer.

00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:17.380
 We always talk about prayer,

00:19:17.460 --> 00:19:18.960
 but it's been a lot more lately, hasn't it?

00:19:19.420 --> 00:19:20.740
 It's starting to bother you a little bit?

00:19:20.840 --> 00:19:21.680
 We're talking too much?

00:19:22.600 --> 00:19:24.300
 You know who's driving a lot of that,

00:19:24.420 --> 00:19:25.640
 leading the charge on that

00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:26.380
 with the officers?

00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:28.940
 Our search committee.

00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:32.640
 As they've begun considering

00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:34.060
 the task in front of them,

00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:36.700
 as they've seen the enormity

00:19:36.700 --> 00:19:38.240
 of what they've got,

00:19:38.300 --> 00:19:40.220
 they feel an acute sense of need

00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:42.320
 and thus they're helping us

00:19:42.320 --> 00:19:43.740
 remember the need for prayer.

00:19:43.740 --> 00:19:46.240
 I'm so thankful for them

00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:48.339
 and for what they've done for us

00:19:48.339 --> 00:19:49.059
 in that regard

00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:51.000
 because seeing our need clearly

00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:53.259
 fuels heartfelt prayer.

00:19:54.259 --> 00:19:55.880
 It's been a wonderful thing

00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:57.500
 to have them lead us in that.

00:19:57.500 --> 00:20:00.660
 But listen to me.

00:20:01.380 --> 00:20:02.359
 Dear friends,

00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:03.099
 Southwood,

00:20:04.099 --> 00:20:05.920
 the enormous task

00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:07.240
 in front of us,

00:20:07.380 --> 00:20:08.420
 in front of Southwood,

00:20:08.500 --> 00:20:09.839
 is not merely finding

00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:11.099
 a new senior pastor.

00:20:11.099 --> 00:20:15.199
 It should cause us to stop

00:20:15.199 --> 00:20:15.539
 and think,

00:20:15.639 --> 00:20:16.639
 why are they the ones

00:20:16.639 --> 00:20:18.480
 feeling needy and desperate

00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:19.799
 with an enormous task

00:20:19.799 --> 00:20:20.980
 in front of them?

00:20:21.159 --> 00:20:22.859
 Why don't we all feel that way?

00:20:23.159 --> 00:20:24.039
 The enormous task

00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:25.939
 is not finding a new senior pastor,

00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:27.719
 but reaching Huntsville

00:20:27.719 --> 00:20:28.379
 and the world

00:20:28.379 --> 00:20:30.659
 with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

00:20:30.959 --> 00:20:31.199
 Amen?

00:20:31.859 --> 00:20:33.439
 That's the enormous task

00:20:33.439 --> 00:20:34.759
 in front of this church.

00:20:34.859 --> 00:20:36.359
 That's what God's put us here for.

00:20:36.659 --> 00:20:38.039
 For His glory to fill

00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:38.879
 the whole earth.

00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:40.780
 For His kingdom to be advanced

00:20:40.780 --> 00:20:41.620
 all around us

00:20:41.620 --> 00:20:42.540
 where we already are.

00:20:42.780 --> 00:20:44.260
 That everyone we can reach

00:20:44.260 --> 00:20:45.240
 would know the grace

00:20:45.240 --> 00:20:46.300
 of King Jesus, right?

00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:48.740
 That this is what we're here for.

00:20:49.940 --> 00:20:50.880
 That's enormous.

00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:53.460
 He has called us now

00:20:53.460 --> 00:20:54.660
 to be transformed

00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:55.460
 by the gospel

00:20:55.460 --> 00:20:56.640
 so that we can be agents

00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:57.420
 of transformation

00:20:57.420 --> 00:20:58.740
 in our culture.

00:20:59.320 --> 00:21:00.920
 He wants Southwood now

00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:02.700
 to be turned inside out

00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:03.440
 by grace

00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:06.000
 so that He can use us

00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:07.160
 to turn Huntsville

00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:08.560
 and the world upside down.

00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:09.840
 With the good news

00:21:09.840 --> 00:21:10.540
 of the gospel.

00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:11.460
 Now.

00:21:11.620 --> 00:21:12.820
 We're not in a waiting game

00:21:12.820 --> 00:21:14.040
 or holding period.

00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:15.100
 The enormous task

00:21:15.100 --> 00:21:15.840
 in front of us

00:21:15.840 --> 00:21:16.920
 is reaching Huntsville

00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:17.320
 and the world

00:21:17.320 --> 00:21:17.840
 with the gospel

00:21:17.840 --> 00:21:18.740
 of Jesus Christ.

00:21:19.800 --> 00:21:21.000
 That's a big task.

00:21:23.040 --> 00:21:24.340
 Consider that for a second.

00:21:24.340 --> 00:21:26.780
 And then ask yourself

00:21:26.780 --> 00:21:28.280
 the obvious question.

00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:31.700
 Seriously, God?

00:21:33.300 --> 00:21:34.100
 Us?

00:21:34.099 --> 00:21:36.919
 Reach Huntsville

00:21:36.919 --> 00:21:37.819
 and the world

00:21:37.819 --> 00:21:38.679
 for Christ?

00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:39.240
 Us?

00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:41.399
 The ones who have

00:21:41.399 --> 00:21:43.079
 trouble reaching our spouses

00:21:43.079 --> 00:21:44.459
 to hold a marriage together?

00:21:45.259 --> 00:21:46.480
 The ones who have

00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:47.899
 trouble reaching our kids

00:21:47.899 --> 00:21:49.139
 to keep them on track?

00:21:49.399 --> 00:21:50.399
 The ones with trouble

00:21:50.399 --> 00:21:51.299
 reaching our neighbors

00:21:51.299 --> 00:21:52.539
 to have even a conversation

00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:53.359
 with them?

00:21:54.039 --> 00:21:54.539
 Us?

00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:57.559
 Southwood,

00:21:57.619 --> 00:21:58.579
 do you see our need?

00:21:58.579 --> 00:22:01.279
 We all should have

00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:02.379
 an acute sense

00:22:02.379 --> 00:22:02.939
 of our need

00:22:02.939 --> 00:22:04.339
 in light of the enormity

00:22:04.339 --> 00:22:05.099
 of the task

00:22:05.099 --> 00:22:06.279
 that God has given us.

00:22:06.539 --> 00:22:07.639
 It's a high calling.

00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:09.579
 And we are clearly

00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:10.139
 inadequate

00:22:10.139 --> 00:22:11.139
 on our own.

00:22:11.679 --> 00:22:12.720
 We need Him.

00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:14.500
 We need Him

00:22:14.500 --> 00:22:15.179
 every hour.

00:22:15.339 --> 00:22:15.960
 We need Him

00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:17.659
 now and today.

00:22:19.019 --> 00:22:19.740
 That might

00:22:19.740 --> 00:22:21.159
 not just get you up

00:22:21.160 --> 00:22:23.400
 at 8.30 and 10

00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:24.120
 on Sundays

00:22:24.120 --> 00:22:24.600
 to pray.

00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:25.680
 It may wake you up

00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:26.460
 in the middle of the night

00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:27.900
 praying.

00:22:28.779 --> 00:22:29.580
 It may have you

00:22:29.580 --> 00:22:30.400
 crying out to God

00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:32.279
 as you drive to work

00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:34.100
 or discipline your kids

00:22:34.100 --> 00:22:36.620
 or serve on the PTA

00:22:36.620 --> 00:22:38.660
 or plan a budget

00:22:38.660 --> 00:22:40.700
 or watch the news

00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:41.980
 or coach a ball team

00:22:41.980 --> 00:22:43.660
 or in the midst of life

00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:44.779
 and wherever you are

00:22:44.779 --> 00:22:45.480
 you might all of a sudden

00:22:45.480 --> 00:22:46.700
 find yourself praying

00:22:46.700 --> 00:22:48.040
 because what God

00:22:48.040 --> 00:22:48.700
 has called you to

00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:49.460
 is so much bigger

00:22:49.460 --> 00:22:50.820
 than what you're capable of.

00:22:51.660 --> 00:22:52.440
 And that's when prayer

00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:53.200
 begins to become

00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:53.759
 a lifestyle

00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:55.160
 rather than merely

00:22:55.160 --> 00:22:56.180
 an activity

00:22:56.180 --> 00:22:57.560
 when we have a regular

00:22:57.560 --> 00:22:59.900
 sense of our need.

00:23:01.820 --> 00:23:02.900
 Now those are two

00:23:02.900 --> 00:23:04.220
 very important things

00:23:04.220 --> 00:23:05.279
 that we believe.

00:23:05.400 --> 00:23:06.480
 God's sovereignty

00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:07.519
 that He's at work

00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:08.900
 and our need.

00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:10.400
 But I'd suggest to you

00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:12.120
 that just the two of those

00:23:12.120 --> 00:23:13.480
 aren't actually enough

00:23:13.480 --> 00:23:15.140
 to fuel a lifestyle

00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:15.779
 of prayer.

00:23:15.900 --> 00:23:17.160
 Let me explain it this way.

00:23:18.320 --> 00:23:19.880
 You may have a need

00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:21.300
 that you're aware of

00:23:21.300 --> 00:23:22.500
 and you may know

00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:23.880
 a very powerful person

00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:25.180
 who would be capable

00:23:25.180 --> 00:23:26.520
 of meeting that need

00:23:26.520 --> 00:23:28.540
 but that won't be enough

00:23:28.540 --> 00:23:29.500
 for you to bother him

00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:30.140
 when he's busy.

00:23:31.380 --> 00:23:33.360
 That reality in itself

00:23:33.360 --> 00:23:34.040
 won't be enough

00:23:34.040 --> 00:23:34.800
 for you to text him

00:23:34.800 --> 00:23:35.580
 in the middle of the night

00:23:35.580 --> 00:23:37.080
 and for you to call

00:23:37.080 --> 00:23:37.900
 every few minutes

00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:39.020
 and think that you could talk

00:23:39.020 --> 00:23:39.960
 to this very important

00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:40.800
 powerful person

00:23:40.800 --> 00:23:41.980
 about what's on your heart.

00:23:42.380 --> 00:23:43.160
 One more thing

00:23:43.160 --> 00:23:44.020
 is necessary

00:23:44.020 --> 00:23:45.980
 for that to happen.

00:23:45.980 --> 00:23:48.640
 And so while the law

00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:50.140
 or your own guilt

00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:51.140
 can drive you

00:23:51.140 --> 00:23:52.299
 to schedule a time

00:23:52.299 --> 00:23:52.900
 to pray

00:23:52.900 --> 00:23:55.660
 occasionally at least

00:23:55.660 --> 00:23:57.740
 only the gospel

00:23:57.740 --> 00:23:58.480
 can drive you

00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:00.000
 to a lifestyle of prayer

00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:01.640
 because that one thing

00:24:01.640 --> 00:24:02.299
 that's needed

00:24:02.299 --> 00:24:03.960
 is relationship

00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:05.380
 and the gospel

00:24:05.380 --> 00:24:06.259
 gives us that.

00:24:06.900 --> 00:24:07.620
 The one thing

00:24:07.620 --> 00:24:08.620
 you have to have

00:24:08.620 --> 00:24:09.779
 is a relationship

00:24:09.779 --> 00:24:11.079
 and one more thing

00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:12.660
 we believe passionately here

00:24:12.660 --> 00:24:13.380
 is that the gospel

00:24:13.380 --> 00:24:14.400
 changes everything.

00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:16.680
 This is what I mean

00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:17.820
 with regards to prayer.

00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:20.400
 Because of the gospel

00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:20.980
 of grace

00:24:20.980 --> 00:24:23.040
 the powerful person

00:24:23.040 --> 00:24:24.220
 with the provision

00:24:24.220 --> 00:24:25.080
 for your needs

00:24:25.080 --> 00:24:25.940
 those two things

00:24:25.940 --> 00:24:26.440
 you feel

00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:27.740
 is not just

00:24:27.740 --> 00:24:28.960
 some powerful person

00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:29.580
 out there somewhere

00:24:29.580 --> 00:24:30.519
 he's your father.

00:24:31.860 --> 00:24:32.540
 Isn't he?

00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:34.800
 So praying

00:24:34.800 --> 00:24:35.880
 can become a lifestyle

00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:36.960
 because I have a father

00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:38.400
 who wants to hear my needs

00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:39.620
 and won't reject me

00:24:39.620 --> 00:24:40.780
 when I cry out to him

00:24:40.780 --> 00:24:42.340
 at some crazy hour.

00:24:42.700 --> 00:24:43.519
 Think of all the things

00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:44.339
 a child will wake

00:24:44.339 --> 00:24:45.180
 his father up for

00:24:45.180 --> 00:24:45.940
 in the middle of the night.

00:24:46.920 --> 00:24:48.299
 You can laundry list them.

00:24:48.900 --> 00:24:49.660
 A cup of water

00:24:49.660 --> 00:24:51.619
 gotta use the potty

00:24:51.619 --> 00:24:53.480
 can't find blankie

00:24:53.480 --> 00:24:55.240
 had a bad dream

00:24:55.240 --> 00:24:56.839
 keep going

00:24:56.839 --> 00:24:58.119
 do any of those things

00:24:58.119 --> 00:24:59.160
 stop a young child

00:24:59.160 --> 00:24:59.900
 in the middle of the night

00:24:59.900 --> 00:25:01.259
 for crying out for daddy?

00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:03.139
 They don't do they?

00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:04.139
 Why?

00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:05.680
 Why is that?

00:25:05.940 --> 00:25:07.099
 Why do we love that?

00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:09.879
 He doesn't think twice

00:25:09.879 --> 00:25:11.440
 about coming to his father

00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:12.940
 who loves him.

00:25:13.700 --> 00:25:14.580
 That's how Jesus

00:25:14.580 --> 00:25:15.500
 taught us to pray

00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:15.980
 isn't it?

00:25:16.600 --> 00:25:17.039
 He said

00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:17.620
 you say

00:25:17.620 --> 00:25:19.140
 our father

00:25:19.140 --> 00:25:21.680
 so prayer is

00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:23.420
 crawling into the lap

00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:24.720
 of my father

00:25:24.720 --> 00:25:25.779
 not

00:25:25.779 --> 00:25:27.220
 climbing the ladder

00:25:27.220 --> 00:25:28.200
 to my father.

00:25:28.820 --> 00:25:29.299
 I'm not trying

00:25:29.299 --> 00:25:30.360
 to earn his affection

00:25:30.360 --> 00:25:31.960
 by scheduling in

00:25:31.960 --> 00:25:32.600
 some times

00:25:32.600 --> 00:25:33.120
 to pray

00:25:33.120 --> 00:25:34.180
 I already have

00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:34.740
 his affection

00:25:34.740 --> 00:25:35.900
 so I pray

00:25:35.900 --> 00:25:36.840
 whenever I feel

00:25:36.840 --> 00:25:37.380
 the need

00:25:37.380 --> 00:25:38.080
 whenever

00:25:38.080 --> 00:25:39.500
 something strikes

00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:40.400
 prayer becomes

00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:41.759
 reveling in his love

00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:42.339
 all the time

00:25:42.339 --> 00:25:42.960
 not reaching

00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:43.559
 for something

00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:44.619
 I don't have

00:25:44.619 --> 00:25:45.180
 yet.

00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:47.480
 In fact

00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:48.440
 if you've ever

00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:49.259
 fallen asleep

00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:49.799
 praying

00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:50.420
 anybody ever

00:25:50.420 --> 00:25:51.380
 you're not going

00:25:51.380 --> 00:25:51.839
 to admit that

00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:52.180
 are you?

00:25:52.599 --> 00:25:53.099
 Have you ever

00:25:53.099 --> 00:25:54.019
 fallen asleep

00:25:54.019 --> 00:25:54.519
 praying?

00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:56.019
 Did you wake up

00:25:56.019 --> 00:25:56.759
 feeling guilty?

00:25:58.140 --> 00:25:58.680
 Frustrated

00:25:58.680 --> 00:25:59.980
 like a failure

00:25:59.980 --> 00:26:01.140
 or an annoyance?

00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:03.859
 You ever had a child

00:26:03.859 --> 00:26:04.519
 fall asleep

00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:05.180
 in your arms?

00:26:05.180 --> 00:26:08.440
 A child

00:26:08.440 --> 00:26:09.080
 falling asleep

00:26:09.080 --> 00:26:09.980
 in a father's arms

00:26:09.980 --> 00:26:11.180
 is a precious moment

00:26:11.180 --> 00:26:11.779
 that a father

00:26:11.779 --> 00:26:12.480
 cherishes.

00:26:13.259 --> 00:26:14.259
 He loves that

00:26:14.259 --> 00:26:15.700
 and we never

00:26:15.700 --> 00:26:16.299
 grow up

00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:17.380
 or get too big

00:26:17.380 --> 00:26:18.360
 or too strong

00:26:18.360 --> 00:26:19.279
 or too independent

00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:20.500
 to fall asleep

00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:21.620
 in our father's arms.

00:26:23.120 --> 00:26:23.920
 Maybe you've never

00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:24.740
 thought about prayer

00:26:24.740 --> 00:26:25.940
 that way.

00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:27.940
 Maybe you thought

00:26:27.940 --> 00:26:28.640
 we shouldn't make

00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:29.400
 such a big deal

00:26:29.400 --> 00:26:30.019
 about prayer

00:26:30.019 --> 00:26:30.640
 because we're

00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:31.539
 a grace church

00:26:31.539 --> 00:26:32.920
 and we talk

00:26:32.920 --> 00:26:33.660
 about grace

00:26:33.660 --> 00:26:34.460
 and the gospel

00:26:34.460 --> 00:26:36.140
 and prayer

00:26:36.140 --> 00:26:37.279
 that seems like

00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:37.900
 it's a little bit

00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:38.880
 maybe that's getting

00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:39.700
 a little bit too

00:26:39.700 --> 00:26:40.420
 legalistic

00:26:40.420 --> 00:26:41.539
 or something like that.

00:26:41.860 --> 00:26:42.120
 Listen,

00:26:42.279 --> 00:26:43.180
 a grace church

00:26:43.180 --> 00:26:44.600
 that's not a praying church

00:26:44.600 --> 00:26:45.480
 is a contradiction

00:26:45.480 --> 00:26:46.200
 in terms.

00:26:47.579 --> 00:26:48.740
 A grace church

00:26:48.740 --> 00:26:50.920
 that's not a praying church

00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:51.799
 is a contradiction

00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:53.240
 in terms.

00:26:53.579 --> 00:26:54.240
 You pray

00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:55.279
 because you now

00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:56.160
 have a relationship

00:26:56.160 --> 00:26:56.799
 with God

00:26:56.799 --> 00:26:58.120
 so you can talk to Him.

00:26:58.740 --> 00:26:59.720
 If we really believe

00:26:59.720 --> 00:27:00.680
 what we say we believe

00:27:00.680 --> 00:27:01.299
 that the gospel

00:27:01.299 --> 00:27:02.240
 changes everything

00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:02.960
 that we have

00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:03.920
 a new relationship

00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:04.480
 with God

00:27:04.480 --> 00:27:05.460
 by His grace

00:27:05.460 --> 00:27:06.720
 that we're actually

00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:07.800
 His sons and daughters

00:27:07.800 --> 00:27:08.759
 not just pretending

00:27:08.759 --> 00:27:09.320
 to be

00:27:09.320 --> 00:27:11.500
 then we'll talk to Him.

00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:12.420
 We'll pray.

00:27:14.180 --> 00:27:15.140
 Do people ever ask you

00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:15.860
 about your relationship

00:27:15.860 --> 00:27:16.480
 with God?

00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:18.660
 Sometimes feel a little bit weird.

00:27:18.860 --> 00:27:19.880
 My relationship with God?

00:27:19.880 --> 00:27:20.120
 What do you mean

00:27:20.120 --> 00:27:21.320
 my relationship with God?

00:27:21.600 --> 00:27:22.519
 Well, Christians talk

00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:23.660
 about having a relationship

00:27:23.660 --> 00:27:24.759
 with God, don't we?

00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:26.200
 You've heard that.

00:27:27.860 --> 00:27:28.640
 Would your spouse

00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:29.460
 say your relationship

00:27:29.460 --> 00:27:30.100
 is healthy

00:27:30.100 --> 00:27:31.120
 if you haven't told him

00:27:31.119 --> 00:27:31.739
 how you feel

00:27:31.739 --> 00:27:32.399
 for months?

00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:35.359
 Would you say

00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:35.959
 your relationship

00:27:35.959 --> 00:27:36.639
 is healthy

00:27:36.639 --> 00:27:37.579
 if the only times

00:27:37.579 --> 00:27:38.359
 you ever talk

00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:39.299
 are when you schedule

00:27:39.299 --> 00:27:40.179
 the conversation?

00:27:41.959 --> 00:27:42.839
 Listen, I love

00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:43.959
 scheduling conversations.

00:27:44.639 --> 00:27:45.399
 We do this a lot.

00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:46.179
 Sometimes there are things

00:27:46.179 --> 00:27:46.859
 you need to talk about

00:27:46.859 --> 00:27:47.339
 and you need to put it

00:27:47.339 --> 00:27:47.839
 on the calendar

00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:48.579
 and you need to have a meeting

00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:49.619
 and talk about it.

00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:51.219
 And I'm very,

00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:52.619
 that's very important to me.

00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:53.899
 Scheduling things

00:27:53.899 --> 00:27:54.959
 is a good thing.

00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:57.460
 But if that's the only time

00:27:57.460 --> 00:27:58.519
 I ever talked to my wife,

00:27:59.860 --> 00:28:00.340
 I wouldn't work

00:28:00.340 --> 00:28:01.559
 in a relationship, would it?

00:28:02.360 --> 00:28:02.860
 That's not what

00:28:02.860 --> 00:28:04.819
 a relationship is like.

00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:06.079
 It's great to repent

00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:08.319
 during Lent, for example,

00:28:08.900 --> 00:28:09.740
 but we should always

00:28:09.740 --> 00:28:10.519
 be repenting.

00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:12.380
 It's great to pray

00:28:12.380 --> 00:28:14.180
 during a senior pastor search,

00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:16.519
 but we should always

00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:17.200
 be praying.

00:28:17.920 --> 00:28:20.380
 I hope that we come together

00:28:20.380 --> 00:28:22.000
 and pray a lot

00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:23.720
 in the next few months.

00:28:24.019 --> 00:28:24.600
 Scheduling that

00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:25.240
 is a good thing.

00:28:25.319 --> 00:28:26.519
 There's great encouragement

00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:27.699
 in praying with others.

00:28:27.699 --> 00:28:28.779
 We should do it.

00:28:28.879 --> 00:28:30.419
 We should have to reschedule

00:28:30.419 --> 00:28:31.500
 the room we're meeting in.

00:28:31.639 --> 00:28:32.319
 So many of us

00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:33.199
 should want to gather

00:28:33.199 --> 00:28:33.819
 and pray.

00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:35.839
 But I hope way beyond that

00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:36.719
 that you know

00:28:36.719 --> 00:28:37.619
 you've got a Father

00:28:37.619 --> 00:28:39.419
 who will hear you anywhere,

00:28:40.439 --> 00:28:41.119
 anytime,

00:28:42.179 --> 00:28:43.059
 that you'll pray to Him.

00:28:43.459 --> 00:28:44.819
 One of my favorite prayers

00:28:44.819 --> 00:28:45.359
 in the Bible

00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:46.319
 has always been

00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:47.480
 Jehoshaphat

00:28:47.480 --> 00:28:49.019
 in 2 Chronicles 20.

00:28:49.679 --> 00:28:50.679
 You may remember

00:28:50.679 --> 00:28:51.459
 the situation.

00:28:51.659 --> 00:28:52.319
 He's the king

00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:53.519
 of God's people, Judah.

00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:55.019
 And the Moabites

00:28:55.019 --> 00:28:55.759
 and the Ammonites

00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:57.279
 are coming to attack them.

00:28:58.859 --> 00:29:00.160
 And Jehoshaphat prays

00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:01.480
 in 2 Chronicles 20.

00:29:01.579 --> 00:29:02.160
 In verse 6,

00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:02.940
 he says this,

00:29:03.299 --> 00:29:03.660
 O Lord,

00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:04.559
 God of our fathers,

00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:06.400
 are you not God in heaven?

00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:07.660
 You rule over

00:29:07.660 --> 00:29:08.440
 all the kingdoms

00:29:08.440 --> 00:29:09.279
 of the nations.

00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:10.059
 In your hand

00:29:10.059 --> 00:29:11.180
 are power and might

00:29:11.180 --> 00:29:11.779
 so that none

00:29:11.779 --> 00:29:13.059
 is able to withstand you.

00:29:13.579 --> 00:29:14.019
 God,

00:29:14.119 --> 00:29:14.819
 you're sovereign

00:29:14.819 --> 00:29:16.440
 and powerful, right?

00:29:16.920 --> 00:29:17.900
 We're coming to you

00:29:17.900 --> 00:29:18.700
 because we know

00:29:18.700 --> 00:29:19.480
 you're at work.

00:29:20.680 --> 00:29:21.759
 Look down at verse 12,

00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:22.640
 what he says at the end.

00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:23.819
 We're powerless

00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:25.140
 against this great horde

00:29:25.140 --> 00:29:26.379
 that's coming up against us.

00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:27.839
 We do not know what to do

00:29:27.839 --> 00:29:29.000
 but our eyes are upon you.

00:29:29.079 --> 00:29:30.240
 Do you hear his need?

00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:32.400
 The sense of his need there?

00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:33.379
 We're powerless.

00:29:33.559 --> 00:29:34.579
 We don't know what to do.

00:29:34.940 --> 00:29:36.000
 That classic line,

00:29:36.059 --> 00:29:36.859
 we don't know what to do

00:29:36.859 --> 00:29:38.279
 but our eyes are upon you.

00:29:38.619 --> 00:29:39.420
 That's beautiful.

00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:41.279
 But why?

00:29:41.819 --> 00:29:44.240
 Why is it Yahweh

00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:45.759
 that his eyes are on?

00:29:45.759 --> 00:29:48.660
 Because the God of his fathers

00:29:48.660 --> 00:29:50.579
 from verse 6 by verse 12

00:29:50.579 --> 00:29:51.539
 has become what?

00:29:52.839 --> 00:29:54.039
 Our God.

00:29:54.740 --> 00:29:56.720
 Oh, our God.

00:29:56.900 --> 00:29:58.859
 The one in relationship with us.

00:29:58.940 --> 00:29:59.640
 The one who loves

00:29:59.640 --> 00:30:01.000
 and cares for us.

00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:02.500
 We look to you.

00:30:03.220 --> 00:30:04.579
 Our Father

00:30:04.579 --> 00:30:06.920
 is the one who's sovereign

00:30:06.920 --> 00:30:08.400
 to meet our needs.

00:30:09.619 --> 00:30:11.140
 Listen, if you leave this morning

00:30:11.140 --> 00:30:11.839
 thinking merely

00:30:11.839 --> 00:30:12.779
 that you should probably

00:30:12.779 --> 00:30:14.000
 pray a little bit more,

00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:16.039
 then you'll be just where I was

00:30:16.039 --> 00:30:17.119
 coming out of seminary.

00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:18.680
 Probably where you were

00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:19.880
 when you came in this morning

00:30:19.880 --> 00:30:20.839
 if we're honest.

00:30:21.759 --> 00:30:23.200
 I knew prayer was a good thing.

00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:24.859
 You really want to pray more

00:30:24.859 --> 00:30:26.240
 but you'll be missing

00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:27.779
 the long-term motivation

00:30:27.779 --> 00:30:29.220
 that changes your life

00:30:29.220 --> 00:30:30.839
 not just a couple of meetings

00:30:30.839 --> 00:30:31.640
 that you go to.

00:30:32.299 --> 00:30:33.539
 I've shared with you before

00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:34.859
 Paul Miller's analogy

00:30:34.859 --> 00:30:36.619
 that focusing on prayer like that

00:30:36.619 --> 00:30:38.200
 is like trying to drive

00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:39.640
 by focusing on the windshield.

00:30:40.619 --> 00:30:42.420
 You don't look at the windshield.

00:30:42.420 --> 00:30:44.320
 You look through the windshield

00:30:44.320 --> 00:30:46.100
 to what's beyond it.

00:30:46.380 --> 00:30:47.519
 Look through prayer

00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:48.620
 to your Father

00:30:48.620 --> 00:30:50.360
 who in His kind provision

00:30:50.360 --> 00:30:52.400
 is the one at work

00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:53.800
 and meeting your needs.

00:30:54.200 --> 00:30:55.279
 Then prayer becomes

00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:56.340
 not a have to

00:30:56.340 --> 00:30:57.420
 but a get to.

00:30:57.800 --> 00:30:58.779
 Not a to do

00:30:58.779 --> 00:31:00.120
 but a need to.

00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:01.200
 Not a duty

00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:02.060
 but a delight.

00:31:03.100 --> 00:31:03.700
 Then we'll pray

00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:04.300
 at meetings

00:31:04.300 --> 00:31:05.100
 and gatherings

00:31:05.100 --> 00:31:06.600
 and worship services

00:31:06.600 --> 00:31:07.700
 and small groups

00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:08.820
 in hallways

00:31:08.820 --> 00:31:09.779
 and parking lots

00:31:09.779 --> 00:31:10.420
 over meals

00:31:10.420 --> 00:31:11.220
 over coffee

00:31:11.220 --> 00:31:12.160
 by ourselves

00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:13.160
 with our kids.

00:31:14.940 --> 00:31:16.120
 It might not

00:31:16.120 --> 00:31:17.779
 be just a spiritual

00:31:17.779 --> 00:31:18.860
 platitude

00:31:18.860 --> 00:31:20.640
 that doesn't mean much

00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:21.539
 to you anymore.

00:31:22.380 --> 00:31:23.180
 It might start

00:31:23.180 --> 00:31:24.500
 becoming a lifeline.

00:31:25.220 --> 00:31:25.860
 A lifestyle

00:31:25.860 --> 00:31:27.320
 where we pray

00:31:27.320 --> 00:31:28.560
 without ceasing.

00:31:29.060 --> 00:31:30.320
 Where we desperately

00:31:30.320 --> 00:31:31.460
 need our Father

00:31:31.460 --> 00:31:32.740
 to get through

00:31:32.740 --> 00:31:34.000
 each and every moment

00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:35.680
 of each and every day.

00:31:35.680 --> 00:31:37.580
 and that's exactly

00:31:37.580 --> 00:31:38.600
 what this table

00:31:38.600 --> 00:31:39.740
 that's set before us

00:31:39.740 --> 00:31:40.600
 reminds us of

00:31:40.600 --> 00:31:41.120
 this morning.

00:31:42.019 --> 00:31:43.100
 What a gift

00:31:43.100 --> 00:31:44.740
 that we come now

00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:45.560
 to a table

00:31:45.560 --> 00:31:46.500
 where the Father

00:31:46.500 --> 00:31:47.759
 spreads it before us

00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:48.920
 and says you're needy

00:31:48.920 --> 00:31:49.920
 and I've come

00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:50.820
 to meet your needs.

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:52.620
 A Father who's provided

00:31:52.620 --> 00:31:53.560
 lavishly

00:31:53.560 --> 00:31:55.060
 for our deepest needs

00:31:55.060 --> 00:31:56.100
 through sending

00:31:56.100 --> 00:31:56.980
 His Son

00:31:56.980 --> 00:31:57.799
 for us.

00:31:57.920 --> 00:31:58.700
 That's the kind of

00:31:58.700 --> 00:31:59.799
 Father we pray to.

00:32:00.200 --> 00:32:00.940
 He comes

00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:01.860
 and prepares

00:32:01.860 --> 00:32:02.940
 this table

00:32:02.940 --> 00:32:04.680
 at which we get

00:32:04.680 --> 00:32:05.200
 to feast.

00:32:05.660 --> 00:32:06.640
 What a kind

00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:07.279
 and gracious

00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:08.240
 Father we have.

00:32:08.620 --> 00:32:09.420
 Remember the words

00:32:09.420 --> 00:32:10.160
 of institution

00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:11.160
 that Jesus gave

00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:13.320
 in 1 Corinthians 11.

00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:14.460
 Paul repeats them.

00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:15.880
 Paul said,

00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:16.960
 I received from Jesus

00:32:16.960 --> 00:32:18.759
 what I passed on to you

00:32:18.759 --> 00:32:19.220
 that the night

00:32:19.220 --> 00:32:19.779
 He was betrayed

00:32:19.779 --> 00:32:20.519
 He took bread

00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:21.660
 and when He'd given thanks

00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:22.420
 He broke it

00:32:22.420 --> 00:32:23.380
 and said,

00:32:23.380 --> 00:32:24.299
 this is my body

00:32:24.299 --> 00:32:25.259
 which is for you.

00:32:25.640 --> 00:32:26.779
 Do this in remembrance

00:32:26.779 --> 00:32:27.420
 of me.

00:32:28.700 --> 00:32:29.400
 In the same way

00:32:29.400 --> 00:32:30.500
 also He took the cup

00:32:30.500 --> 00:32:31.220
 after supper

00:32:31.220 --> 00:32:31.720
 saying,

00:32:32.420 --> 00:32:33.560
 this cup is the new covenant

00:32:33.560 --> 00:32:34.259
 in my blood.

00:32:34.259 --> 00:32:35.339
 Do this as often

00:32:35.339 --> 00:32:36.140
 as you drink it

00:32:36.140 --> 00:32:37.339
 in remembrance of me.

00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:38.500
 For as often

00:32:38.500 --> 00:32:39.420
 as you eat this bread

00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:40.319
 and drink the cup

00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:41.240
 you proclaim

00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:42.240
 the Lord's death

00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:44.039
 until He comes.

00:32:45.539 --> 00:32:46.799
 This is as I said

00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:47.680
 the Lord's table.

00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:49.379
 Not a Southwood table

00:32:49.379 --> 00:32:50.900
 or a Presbyterian table.

00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:52.019
 He's the one

00:32:52.019 --> 00:32:52.640
 who sets it

00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:53.460
 and He invites

00:32:53.460 --> 00:32:54.619
 all of those

00:32:54.619 --> 00:32:55.599
 who are in relationship

00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:56.259
 with Him

00:32:56.259 --> 00:32:57.200
 to come.

00:32:57.460 --> 00:32:58.000
 The ones who

00:32:58.000 --> 00:32:58.759
 know Him

00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.680
 as Father.

00:32:59.819 --> 00:33:00.640
 Those who by faith

00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:01.480
 have cast their hope

00:33:01.480 --> 00:33:02.339
 not in themselves

00:33:02.339 --> 00:33:03.759
 but in Jesus

00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:04.740
 He says,

00:33:05.179 --> 00:33:06.099
 come and eat.

00:33:06.919 --> 00:33:08.699
 And if that's not you

00:33:08.699 --> 00:33:10.019
 if this all seems

00:33:10.019 --> 00:33:10.959
 a little bit bizarre

00:33:10.959 --> 00:33:12.319
 if you hear me talk

00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:13.099
 about prayer

00:33:13.099 --> 00:33:14.419
 and a lifestyle

00:33:14.419 --> 00:33:15.980
 of dependence upon God

00:33:15.980 --> 00:33:16.439
 and you think

00:33:16.439 --> 00:33:17.019
 I don't even know

00:33:17.019 --> 00:33:18.099
 what that would mean

00:33:18.099 --> 00:33:19.480
 then let me invite you

00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:20.259
 not to come

00:33:20.259 --> 00:33:21.019
 to this table

00:33:21.019 --> 00:33:21.539
 this morning

00:33:21.539 --> 00:33:22.839
 but to consider

00:33:22.839 --> 00:33:24.839
 to consider the possibility

00:33:24.839 --> 00:33:27.359
 that someone offers you life

00:33:27.359 --> 00:33:29.099
 not found in yourself

00:33:29.099 --> 00:33:30.719
 where it all doesn't

00:33:30.719 --> 00:33:31.819
 hang on you

00:33:31.819 --> 00:33:33.599
 where it's not all up to you

00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:34.199
 and the burden's

00:33:34.199 --> 00:33:35.539
 not all carried by you

00:33:35.539 --> 00:33:36.759
 and that Jesus

00:33:36.759 --> 00:33:37.379
 would offer you

00:33:37.379 --> 00:33:38.500
 that kind of life.

00:33:38.619 --> 00:33:40.299
 Come and consider Jesus

00:33:40.299 --> 00:33:41.899
 and who He is.

00:33:42.619 --> 00:33:44.000
 We'd love to talk with you

00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:45.899
 not about fixing your life

00:33:45.899 --> 00:33:47.759
 but about the Savior

00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:49.259
 who is working

00:33:49.259 --> 00:33:51.019
 on our broken lives.

00:33:51.179 --> 00:33:52.000
 We'd love to have

00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:53.759
 that conversation with you.

00:33:54.599 --> 00:33:55.139
 Let's pray.

00:33:55.140 --> 00:34:02.120
 Jesus we came to the Father

00:34:02.120 --> 00:34:03.920
 completely dependent

00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:04.920
 on your grace

00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:06.980
 not our goodness.

00:34:07.940 --> 00:34:09.180
 We live today

00:34:09.180 --> 00:34:10.400
 completely dependent

00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:11.820
 on your grace

00:34:11.820 --> 00:34:12.720
 not our goodness.

00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:14.920
 Would this meal

00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:15.980
 remind us of that

00:34:15.980 --> 00:34:17.260
 strengthen us

00:34:17.260 --> 00:34:18.680
 to that end.

00:34:19.059 --> 00:34:19.980
 We pray in your name.

00:34:20.920 --> 00:34:21.220
 Amen.

00:34:25.139 --> 00:34:26.659
 For more information

00:34:26.659 --> 00:34:27.960
 visit us online

00:34:27.960 --> 00:34:29.259
 at southwood.org

00:34:29.259 --> 00:34:30.759
 For more information

00:34:30.759 --> 00:34:31.879
 visit us online

00:34:31.879 --> 00:34:33.319
 at southwood.org