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An old preacher once said Jesus 
never taught his disciples how 

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to preach, but how to pray. 
He did not speak much of what 

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was needed to preach well, but 
much of praying well. 

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To know how to speak to God is 
more than knowing how to speak 

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to man. 
Not power with men, but power 

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with God is the first thing 
Jesus loves to teach his 

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disciples how to pray, and that 
is true. 

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The Lord Jesus did teach his 
disciples how to pray, and he 

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instructed his disciples in the 
area of prayer on more than one 

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occasion. 
Such lessons are found 

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throughout his ministry. 
And even near the end of it. 

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And it may be striking to us to 
discover yet another set of 

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instructions on prayer at a site
and during a time that is 

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presented before us in our text 
today. 

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And at first glance it may seem 
out of place. 

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And so I invite you to turn with
with me to Mark 11 beginning in 

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verse 20, to consider these 
things further, Mark 11, verse 

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20. 
Father, from the bottom of our 

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hearts, we ask for your help in 
this message. 

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Our Lord, just inspire us to 
obey it and to believe it. 

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We need your help for this and 
we believe that it is for us. 

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At this time, as a church in 
Jesus name, we pray. 

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Amen. 
Mark 11/20 As they pass by in 

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the morning they saw the fig 
tree withered away to its roots 

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and Peter remembered and said to
him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree 

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that you cursed has withered and
Jesus answered them. 

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Have faith in God. 
Truly, I say to you, whoever 

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says to this mountain be taken 
up and thrown into the sea, and 

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does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that what he says will 

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come to pass. 
It will be done for him. 

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Therefore I tell you, whatever 
you ask in prayer, believe that 

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you have received it, and it 
will be yours, and whenever you 

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stand praying, forgive if you 
have anything against anyone. 

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Let me repeat that if you have 
anything against anyone, so that

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your Father also, who is in 
heaven, may forgive you your 

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trespasses. 
This scene takes place the day 

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after Jesus entered into 
Jerusalem to cleanse the Temple,

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and we learned that last. 
Week and we also. 

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Saw that after Jesus with his 
priestly purification completed 

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that cleansing, he retreated to 
another place, exiting the city 

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for another evening, most likely
to Bethany again to be with his 

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friends. 
And as verse 20 informs us in 

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the morning, the day after they 
make their way, Jesus in the 

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12th back to Jerusalem, and they
traveled on the same path that 

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they did when they saw the fig 
tree originally. 

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But as they journeyed, the 
disciple disciples made a 

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shocking discovery. 
The fig tree, that very same fig

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tree that Jesus spoke to, has 
now shriveled up from its roots 

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up. 
And Peter was the one who 

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vocalized his wonder, and he 
sought the Lord's attention on 

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the matter. 
Rabbi, look, the fig tree that 

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you cursed. 
It has withered and 

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interestingly, after the 
disciples pointed to this object

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of judgment, the Lord begins and
elaborates on this teaching 

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about prayer as though the fig 
tree was the object lesson for 

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this truth, this mysterious yet 
powerful thing known as prayer. 

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Now if someone were to ask you, 
based on what we learned in the 

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past couple of weeks, what does 
the message of the miracle of 

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Jesus cursing the fig tree point
to? 

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Your answer should be that the 
fig tree symbolized Israel's 

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religious hypocrisy and Christ's
displeasure over her inexcusable

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fruitlessness, ultimately 
resulting in judgment. 

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That's what that miracle was 
about, was pointing to a 

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fruitless religious system in 
the temple. 

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When you saw the temple, you saw
a religious building, but when 

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you went into the temple you saw
no fruit. 

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You would be right if that is 
your explanation. 

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You would be correct in your 
interpretation of this miracle. 

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Yet at the same time, Jesus 
seems to draw a different set of

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truths from what we have 
concluded about it. 

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How do we make sense of this? 
The answer is found in Matthew's

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explanation of the very same 
story. 

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So turn to Matthew chapter 21 
and look at verse 20. 

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Just one verse and it'll make 
all the difference for us. 

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In Matthew 21 verse 20, Matthew 
writes when the disciples saw 

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it, they marveled saying how did
the fig tree wither at once. 

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So Matthew expands on the story 
and the disciples here not only 

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marveled at the site that in 
such a short amount of time this

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tree was put to death, they 
desired an explanation for it. 

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So what the fig tree symbolized 
is still Israel, but how it was 

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able to decay in such a way, 
according to the words of Jesus,

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is the consequence of a power 
that was accessed through 

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prayer. 
But why teach on prayer now you 

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know, why wouldn't Jesus, just 
in a breath or two explain it 

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while they were making their way
towards Jerusalem? 

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There are other pressing matters
at hand. 

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Did we forget that what this 
conversation is and where it 

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happened and when it happened 
was just a few days, a few days 

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before Jesus would be betrayed, 
tortured, and put to death? 

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Is a message on prayer really 
necessary at this time? 

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Is it relevant Christ is about 
to complete his mission this 

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very same week? 
The answer to the relevance of 

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prayer at this time, and it 
being necessary, is a resounding

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yes. 
Christ takes his time now to 

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build the faith of his disciples
in the area of prayer for that 

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very same reason. 
He's about to physically depart 

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from them. 
All these disciples knew in 

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their relationship with Christ 
for years, Intimacy with Christ,

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ministry for Christ was in the 
context of having Christ with 

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them all the time. 
And all of that was now ready to

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change. 
So knowing that the Lord is 

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ready to now transition from 
being with them to being with 

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the Father and glory, he's 
preparing his servants. 

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He wants to prepare His friends 
on how they can access His 

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presence, enjoy His fellowship, 
and draw from His power, His 

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provision, His protection 
through prayer. 

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You know what this tells me 
right at the outset of our 

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message? 
Prayer is the means by which you

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and I come closest to the 
Savior. 

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Prayer is the means by which you
and I walk the closest with the 

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master. 
The disciples are now ready to 

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enter into an experience that 
you are very familiar with, that

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you've only known your whole 
Christian life, namely walking 

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with Jesus without actually 
physically walking with Jesus. 

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And what the? 
Disciples were provided, has 

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been provided to you and I. 
This gift, this ever present 

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channel known as prayer, that at
any time, at any place invites 

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his personal care and power into
any situation that requires it. 

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And the disciples believed it. 
The disciples believed in this 

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thing called prayer the moment 
Jesus left them. 

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You remember where Jesus 
ascended. 

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We don't talk much about the 
ascension of Jesus, do we not? 

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We talk about what? 
His death? 

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Yes, his life, his burial, his 
resurrection, But his ascension?

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That's for another message, for 
another time. 

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When Jesus bodily ascended into 
heaven and Acts 111, what do you

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read in the next verses in Acts 
112 to 14 that the disciples 

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returned to Jerusalem? 
They were rejoicing, and they 

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put themselves together in an 
upper room and in one accord 

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devoted themselves to prayer. 
The moment Jesus leaves, you 

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know what they do. 
They run to what He has given 

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them so that they can know His 
presence and access His divine 

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power. 
Prayer, Prayer. 

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As comforting, as exciting as 
that truth may be, Christ here 

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in our text clarifies that there
are conditions to knowing the 

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full potential of this reality. 
Prerequisites, if you will, to 

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knowing prayer with answers. 
And that's precisely what I want

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to speak to you about today. 
I want to base on this text from

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the words of Jesus. 
Draw out for us three 

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requirements, three conditions, 
not just for prayers being 

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heard, not just for prayers 
being answered, but for prayers 

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to move mountains. 
And so we come back to our text 

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and we look at the first thing. 
What does Christ demand of me to

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pray in such a way where 
mountains can move? 

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Saying what do you mean by 
mountains? 

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We'll just stay awake for the 
midpoint of the message and 

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you'll know what I'm speaking 
about with mountains. 

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Jesus tells us in verse 22 of 
the first thing as he teaches on

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prayer that is needed of us to 
see things happen in our lives. 

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And Jesus answered them have. 
Faith in God. 

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Have faith in God. 
That seems very simple. 

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Let me give you a heads up. 
The three points are very 

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simple. 
And guess what? 

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I'm happy it's simple. 
I'm happy It's not some 

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elaborate exercise to try to get
God's hand to move in my life. 

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Here's step number one for you 
and I have. 

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Faith in God. 
For Jesus to say this right from

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the beginning indicates that the
disciples and making the comment

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about the fig tree demonstrate 
it's a symptom of a lack of 

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faith in the full potential of 
God's power. 

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Rabbi, look, the fig tree 
withered the one that you 

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cursed. 
Matthew says how did you do 

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this? 
Now if you're coming up near the

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end of Jesus ministry, you're 
you're reaching there the 

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three-year mark. 
You would think that the 

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disciples have settled in their 
minds and their hearts, that 

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Christ and his word has all 
power and authority over 

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everything, not just over 
demons, not just over sickness, 

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but over creation itself. 
You would think that they would 

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have determined that. 
But here we find them 

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struggling, trying to comprehend
how this came to be. 

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And we can be a little bit 
lenient here and understanding 

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because this is a unique 
miracle. 

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Jesus determining and deciding 
an object with his power to be 

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judged directly. 
Very uncommon as we learned. 

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So the disciples asked and Jesus
here is gently teaching them and

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reminding them that this was 
possible. 

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Disciples, this was possible 
because of God. 

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Now how does that tie into 
prayer? 

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Very simple. 
When you have a limited view of 

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God's power, character will it 
will ultimately limit how you 

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pray. 
Notice that Jesus did not say 

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have faith in. 
Prayer. 

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Is that what he said? 
Have faith in prayer? 

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No, he said. 
Have faith in God. 

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God is the object of your trust,
even in the area of prayer. 

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Have faith in God. 
At the end of the day, how you 

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pray is determined by what you 
know and what you believe about 

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the Lord. 
And This is why having faith in 

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God is the bedrock for mountain 
moving prayer and it's mentioned

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as the first thing for a reason.
Can I ask you something? 

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What do you know about God? 
What do you know about his 

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character? 
What do you know about his 

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nature? 
What do you know about what he 

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has done throughout history? 
And what you know about that is 

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one thing, but believing he did 
it is another. 

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You see, growing in your 
knowledge of God in His Word and

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thriving in prayer go hand in 
hand because as your knowledge 

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of God grows, so does your 
confidence in His ability and 

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willingness to intervene on your
behalf. 

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And I think about Paul's words 
about the whole Bible, yes, but 

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specifically the Hebrew 
scriptures, where he says in 

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Romans 15 verse four that these 
things have been given to us for

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our encouragement. 
Not just to stuff your head with

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knowledge. 
No, no. 

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You can read the Old Testament 
and be filled with encouragement

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and surely encouraged in how God
has moved and worked in the 

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lives of others through and in 
His people. 

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Defending them, providing for 
them. 

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You can be encouraged. 
You know, some people treat the 

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Bible as a museum. 
They just look at it and see 

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history and say, oh, isn't that 
nice? 

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It's not just a museum. 
It's not just a testimony of 

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what he's done, But if who he is
today, And I'm thinking and 

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meditating on this, have faith 
in God, how does my knowledge of

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God fuel my faith in God so that
I can express it in prayer to 

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God? 
And one guy came to mind. 

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He's not referenced much. 
But oh, he's mentioned in the 

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Bible. 
Nehemiah. 

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Go to Nehemiah chapter 2 to see 
how knowledge of God can help 

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you relate to God. 
In the area of communion with 

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God, Nehemiah 2 one and Two. 
Before Nehemiah 2, there's 

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Nehemiah one. 
How about that? 

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In Nehemiah chapter one, we 
learned that Nehemiah while in 

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exile serving the king, a Pagan 
king. 

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Was informed by some of his 
brethren that traveled to 

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Jerusalem, of the desolation of 
the city, the holy city. 

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The walls are down. 
They're defenseless, they're 

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vulnerable. 
They're an object of scorn and 

230
00:15:53,270 --> 00:15:56,030
mockery. 
Nehemiah is so overcome by this 

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00:15:56,030 --> 00:15:59,390
that he begins to weep and set 
apart time for fasting and 

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00:15:59,390 --> 00:16:01,270
prayer. 
And when you read there in the 

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00:16:01,270 --> 00:16:04,030
beginning of Nehemiah one, you 
were told the day that he begins

234
00:16:04,030 --> 00:16:05,950
to do that. 
And then you come to Nehemiah 2 

235
00:16:06,470 --> 00:16:09,630
and you see another date not 
meant to be glanced over, but to

236
00:16:09,630 --> 00:16:14,030
consider the significance of 
Nehemiah's devotion in the month

237
00:16:14,030 --> 00:16:19,110
of Nissan and the 20th year of 
kings Artaxerxes. 

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00:16:19,670 --> 00:16:21,950
You know what that means. 
When you compare Nehemiah 2/1 

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00:16:21,950 --> 00:16:25,270
with Nehemiah one the first few 
verses, you learn that Nehemiah 

240
00:16:25,430 --> 00:16:29,230
has been praying and has been 
weeping and has been seeking God

241
00:16:29,230 --> 00:16:36,070
for months. 
Months when wine was before him 

242
00:16:36,070 --> 00:16:38,910
because he was a cup bearer. 
When wine was before him, I took

243
00:16:38,910 --> 00:16:41,110
up the wine and gave it to the 
king. 

244
00:16:41,790 --> 00:16:46,870
Now I had not been sad in his 
presence and the king said to 

245
00:16:46,870 --> 00:16:51,990
me, why is your face sad? 
Seeing you are not sick? 

246
00:16:52,590 --> 00:16:55,190
This is nothing but sadness of 
the heart. 

247
00:16:55,710 --> 00:17:01,670
Then I was very much afraid. 
So Nehemiah here is doing what 

248
00:17:01,670 --> 00:17:03,870
you were supposed to do when you
served. 

249
00:17:04,390 --> 00:17:09,270
Monarchs and kings of ancient 
times show that you are enjoying

250
00:17:09,270 --> 00:17:13,710
what you are doing for the king.
And then he learns because this 

251
00:17:13,710 --> 00:17:18,869
Pagan king, yes, though a Pagan 
was discerning why is your face 

252
00:17:18,869 --> 00:17:22,230
down? 
And it's not because you're not 

253
00:17:22,230 --> 00:17:23,990
feeling well. 
I can tell that it's because 

254
00:17:23,990 --> 00:17:27,270
your heart is heavy. 
And we're told that Nehemiah was

255
00:17:27,270 --> 00:17:30,550
afraid when this man made that 
observation. 

256
00:17:31,230 --> 00:17:34,230
Because you also know this about
ancient royalty, that it didn't 

257
00:17:34,230 --> 00:17:38,030
take very much for them to make 
rash and severe verdicts 

258
00:17:38,030 --> 00:17:40,390
whenever they were not pleased 
with someone or something. 

259
00:17:41,310 --> 00:17:44,990
And so now Nehemiah is not only 
sorrowful for what's happening 

260
00:17:44,990 --> 00:17:47,150
to his people, now he is 
concerned about his own 

261
00:17:47,150 --> 00:17:50,430
well-being. 
And so he musters up the courage

262
00:17:50,430 --> 00:17:54,870
to say something in verse three.
I said to the king, let the king

263
00:17:54,870 --> 00:17:58,910
live forever. 
Why should not my face be sad 

264
00:17:58,910 --> 00:18:03,150
when the city, the place of my 
father's graves, lies in ruins 

265
00:18:03,510 --> 00:18:06,230
and its gates have been 
destroyed by fire? 

266
00:18:07,350 --> 00:18:10,710
Then the king said to me, what 
are you requesting? 

267
00:18:10,910 --> 00:18:14,750
And here it is. 
So I prayed to the God of 

268
00:18:14,750 --> 00:18:19,110
Heaven. 
You know what that doesn't mean?

269
00:18:19,110 --> 00:18:21,950
So I pray to the God of Heaven. 
It doesn't mean that Nehemiah 

270
00:18:21,950 --> 00:18:24,470
asked to retreat to his room for
a few days. 

271
00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:28,630
And to seek God so that he can 
have a more refined answer. 

272
00:18:29,950 --> 00:18:31,790
Now this was an opportunity of a
lifetime. 

273
00:18:33,070 --> 00:18:36,670
This was a window that was open,
and it could be shut in the very

274
00:18:36,670 --> 00:18:39,070
same moment. 
And so Nehemiah knew that he had

275
00:18:39,070 --> 00:18:43,710
to take advantage of. 
This and so right there as he 

276
00:18:43,710 --> 00:18:48,430
stood before the king, surprised
by his somewhat compassionate, 

277
00:18:49,070 --> 00:18:55,870
probing praise. 
He prays right there and then, 

278
00:18:57,550 --> 00:19:00,590
and we see here that within the 
mixture of fear and excitement, 

279
00:19:00,590 --> 00:19:04,390
Nehemiah speaks to the king of 
kings as he stands before this 

280
00:19:04,390 --> 00:19:07,910
king and we're not told what he 
prayed. 

281
00:19:08,110 --> 00:19:10,630
I can make a safe guess that 
it's somewhere along the lines 

282
00:19:10,630 --> 00:19:15,470
of courage, somewhere in the 
ballpark of wisdom, so he can 

283
00:19:15,470 --> 00:19:20,750
give the right answer to this 
man and not blow this chance. 

284
00:19:21,910 --> 00:19:23,310
You see you. 
Look at this and you think to 

285
00:19:23,310 --> 00:19:26,510
yourself, why is this mentioned 
here? 

286
00:19:26,670 --> 00:19:28,830
Is it important? 
Yes, it's important. 

287
00:19:29,230 --> 00:19:31,110
He gave it to us in our Bibles 
for a reason. 

288
00:19:31,110 --> 00:19:34,150
Not to just see what he has 
done, but who he is now, what 

289
00:19:34,150 --> 00:19:37,790
he's able to do today. 
You know what the sacred snippet

290
00:19:37,790 --> 00:19:40,870
of the Bible teaches me, at 
least, that wherever I am, 

291
00:19:41,030 --> 00:19:44,790
whoever I stand before, no 
matter what I am feeling, I can.

292
00:19:45,150 --> 00:19:49,390
Spontaneously. 
I can internally. 

293
00:19:49,630 --> 00:19:54,630
I can even briefly lift my 
request before the God of heaven

294
00:19:54,630 --> 00:19:56,870
and earth. 
And he'll hear me. 

295
00:19:59,830 --> 00:20:02,790
You look at Nehemiah chapter one
and you see a man who spent days

296
00:20:02,790 --> 00:20:06,270
and time alone crying out to the
Lord, and we even get a long 

297
00:20:06,270 --> 00:20:08,070
description of what his prayer 
look like. 

298
00:20:08,270 --> 00:20:10,870
And then the next chapter you 
have this Just a little breath, 

299
00:20:10,870 --> 00:20:14,230
a whisper of prayer, and both 
are just as recognizable by God.

300
00:20:17,030 --> 00:20:20,270
So this this man in this very 
moment, I'm just giving you an 

301
00:20:20,270 --> 00:20:26,070
example of how this can feed 
your faith in God, to trust in 

302
00:20:26,070 --> 00:20:28,510
God. 
The God of Nehemiah, who heard 

303
00:20:28,510 --> 00:20:35,270
Nehemiah is my God, is my God. 
So before I step into that 

304
00:20:35,270 --> 00:20:37,830
office, before I step into that 
room, before I make this 

305
00:20:37,830 --> 00:20:41,830
confrontation, before I hear 
this news, I can pray to my God 

306
00:20:41,830 --> 00:20:44,790
right there and then. 
And God will hear it. 

307
00:20:44,790 --> 00:20:48,190
He will turn his ear, yes, even 
from his throne above. 

308
00:20:48,830 --> 00:20:53,110
And I have his full attention. 
So now my view of prayer based 

309
00:20:53,110 --> 00:20:55,910
on that, just because I decide 
to have my devotions in the book

310
00:20:55,910 --> 00:20:58,990
of Nehemiah. 
Now my view of God has expanded 

311
00:21:00,030 --> 00:21:03,230
the ability of God. 
The ever loving presence of God 

312
00:21:03,230 --> 00:21:08,950
and knowledge of God is now 
equipped in my faith, furnishing

313
00:21:09,350 --> 00:21:11,630
in my trust. 
Have faith in God. 

314
00:21:11,750 --> 00:21:16,110
What do you know about him? 
What do you believe about him? 

315
00:21:16,950 --> 00:21:18,870
Are you able to look at 
situations that related to 

316
00:21:18,870 --> 00:21:23,670
things in the word of God? 
If you don't have faith in God 

317
00:21:23,670 --> 00:21:25,790
then you won't be able to do the
next thing. 

318
00:21:27,550 --> 00:21:30,430
The next thing for mountain 
moving prayer to be a reality is

319
00:21:30,430 --> 00:21:33,950
to identify and express your 
need. 

320
00:21:35,710 --> 00:21:37,550
Look at verse 23 again of Mark 
11. 

321
00:21:38,550 --> 00:21:43,830
Truly, I say to you, whoever 
says to this mountain be taken 

322
00:21:43,830 --> 00:21:46,910
up and thrown into the sea, and 
does not doubt in his heart, but

323
00:21:46,910 --> 00:21:49,590
believes that what he says will 
come to pass. 

324
00:21:49,870 --> 00:21:51,470
It will be. 
Done for Him. 

325
00:21:51,470 --> 00:21:53,870
Now, before we get into the 
practicality of this, let's 

326
00:21:53,870 --> 00:21:55,750
clarify what Jesus is speaking 
about. 

327
00:21:56,870 --> 00:21:59,990
I can assure you that He's not 
giving you a secret to tapping 

328
00:21:59,990 --> 00:22:03,870
into some kind of ability to 
shift nature or to move 

329
00:22:03,870 --> 00:22:07,390
geographical boundaries. 
That's not what the Lord is 

330
00:22:07,390 --> 00:22:12,150
getting at here, because prayer 
does not promise us to tap into 

331
00:22:12,150 --> 00:22:15,350
something, to perform pointless 
stunts. 

332
00:22:17,710 --> 00:22:21,990
What Jesus is saying here is a 
figure of speech that was common

333
00:22:21,990 --> 00:22:24,030
in his day and is common in the 
scriptures. 

334
00:22:26,230 --> 00:22:27,830
Most of us know this verse I'm 
going to. 

335
00:22:27,830 --> 00:22:32,230
I'm going to ask you to complete
it, not by might nor by power, 

336
00:22:32,230 --> 00:22:37,190
but by my spirit, says the Lord 
of hosts. 

337
00:22:37,230 --> 00:22:40,790
That's Zechariah 46. 
But do you know what comes after

338
00:22:40,790 --> 00:22:43,630
Zechariah 4/6? 
Because it'll give us insight 

339
00:22:43,630 --> 00:22:48,470
into what Jesus is saying here. 
Not by might nor by power, but 

340
00:22:48,470 --> 00:22:51,390
by my spirit, says the Lord of 
Hosts. 

341
00:22:52,030 --> 00:22:54,150
We'll go to Zechariah 47 to see 
the rest of it. 

342
00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:01,440
Let me read verse 6 to connect 
it. 

343
00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:04,160
Then he said to me, This is the 
word of the Lord to Zerubbabel 

344
00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:09,720
of Zechariah 46. 
Not by might nor by power, but 

345
00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:11,840
by my spirit, says the Lord of 
hosts. 

346
00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:16,430
Who are you? 
O Great Mountain, before 

347
00:23:16,430 --> 00:23:19,190
Zerubbabel, you shall become a 
plain, and he shall bring 

348
00:23:19,190 --> 00:23:23,350
forward the top stone amid 
shouts of grace, grace to it. 

349
00:23:24,990 --> 00:23:27,990
What is this great mountain that
the Lord personifies? 

350
00:23:28,550 --> 00:23:31,190
And what does it mean for this 
great mountain to be made a 

351
00:23:31,190 --> 00:23:34,350
plain? 
Well, there's a hint in verse 

352
00:23:34,350 --> 00:23:37,310
seven that gives us an idea of 
the context. 

353
00:23:37,430 --> 00:23:41,190
He says in the latter part, and 
he, being Zerubbabel, shall 

354
00:23:41,190 --> 00:23:46,790
bring forward the top stone amid
shouts of grace, grace to it. 

355
00:23:47,390 --> 00:23:51,270
Now, when you build a structure 
from the base level up, at that 

356
00:23:51,270 --> 00:23:54,310
foundational level, there is a 
cornerstone. 

357
00:23:54,590 --> 00:23:56,230
Christ is our cornerstone, 
right? 

358
00:23:56,230 --> 00:23:58,030
We believe that, and that's in 
the scriptures as well. 

359
00:23:58,470 --> 00:24:01,270
But when that building comes to 
its completion, and when it's 

360
00:24:01,270 --> 00:24:06,670
ready to be finished, you can 
place a top stone, and that 

361
00:24:06,670 --> 00:24:09,470
indicates that it is in fact 
completed. 

362
00:24:09,990 --> 00:24:12,070
And this is what he's speaking 
about, that Zerubbabel is going 

363
00:24:12,070 --> 00:24:14,750
to take a top stone and place 
it. 

364
00:24:14,870 --> 00:24:16,590
We're talking about a building 
here. 

365
00:24:17,110 --> 00:24:19,510
We're talking about an actual 
structure, as we're about to 

366
00:24:19,510 --> 00:24:22,950
discover in the next two verses.
So what building are we talking 

367
00:24:22,950 --> 00:24:24,630
about here? 
What the wider context is, 

368
00:24:24,630 --> 00:24:29,910
indicating that it's the temple.
Zerubabel was a man among the 

369
00:24:29,910 --> 00:24:34,510
Exiles that left Babylon and 
came back to Jerusalem, and not 

370
00:24:34,510 --> 00:24:37,710
only was he in exile that 
returned back to the holy city, 

371
00:24:38,510 --> 00:24:41,830
he was a leader. 
He was a leader who supervised 

372
00:24:41,830 --> 00:24:44,630
the reviving of the temple 
structure. 

373
00:24:45,390 --> 00:24:47,550
In fact, Haggai tells us that he
was one of the governors. 

374
00:24:47,550 --> 00:24:51,750
He was a governor in Judah, and 
so Zerubbabel here played an 

375
00:24:51,750 --> 00:24:56,870
instrumental role in seeing this
thing come back to life. 

376
00:24:57,830 --> 00:25:03,350
But that plan, that project, saw
many great obstacles. 

377
00:25:04,310 --> 00:25:06,710
All you have to do is read the 
book of Ezra to see most of it. 

378
00:25:07,190 --> 00:25:10,670
There was legal issues. 
There was political interference

379
00:25:10,670 --> 00:25:14,030
that put a pause on the project.
On top of that, you had gentile 

380
00:25:14,030 --> 00:25:17,990
persecution, verbal accusations 
and slanders and actual physical

381
00:25:17,990 --> 00:25:20,550
threats. 
And more than that, you read 

382
00:25:20,550 --> 00:25:22,950
Haggai and you had internal 
problems. 

383
00:25:23,470 --> 00:25:26,230
You had the people of God who 
got lazy and distracted. 

384
00:25:26,230 --> 00:25:28,870
And So what happens? 
They start beautifying their own

385
00:25:28,870 --> 00:25:30,750
homes and neglecting the House 
of God. 

386
00:25:30,750 --> 00:25:33,750
And Haggai has to come and say, 
hey, what are you guys doing? 

387
00:25:34,590 --> 00:25:36,350
Get back to what matters the 
most. 

388
00:25:36,830 --> 00:25:39,670
So you have all these things, 
all these problems that became 

389
00:25:39,670 --> 00:25:46,270
insurmountable. 
No human effort can be 

390
00:25:46,270 --> 00:25:50,310
implemented to overcome this 
problem, these series of 

391
00:25:50,310 --> 00:25:51,870
problems that piled up on each 
other. 

392
00:25:51,870 --> 00:25:53,790
And that's what the Lord is 
alluding to when he's speaking 

393
00:25:53,790 --> 00:25:57,710
about this great mountain, this 
great mountain that's facing 

394
00:25:57,710 --> 00:26:00,790
Zerubba as a leader who's trying
to honor God with this house, 

395
00:26:01,270 --> 00:26:03,750
with the people who have 
vacillating commitment, with 

396
00:26:03,790 --> 00:26:07,110
outsiders who don't want to see 
God's house built, with even 

397
00:26:07,110 --> 00:26:10,190
leaders who with one letter, one
word can stop your construction 

398
00:26:10,190 --> 00:26:14,550
project, this great mountain. 
And the Lord says Zerubbabel, 

399
00:26:14,550 --> 00:26:19,270
I'm going to make it a plain, 
I'm going to, I'm going to add 

400
00:26:19,270 --> 00:26:22,270
grace and ease to this. 
Where there was such difficulty 

401
00:26:22,270 --> 00:26:24,670
and hindrance, I'm going to make
it disappear. 

402
00:26:25,830 --> 00:26:27,510
That's confirmed in verse eight 
and nine. 

403
00:26:27,510 --> 00:26:30,950
Look, Zechariah 4/8 and 9:00. 
Then the word of the Lord came 

404
00:26:30,950 --> 00:26:34,070
to me, saying, The hands of 
Zerubbabel have laid the 

405
00:26:34,070 --> 00:26:37,910
foundation of this house. 
His hands shall also complete 

406
00:26:37,910 --> 00:26:40,910
it. 
Then you will know that the Lord

407
00:26:40,910 --> 00:26:44,670
of hosts has sent me to you. 
I bring this to your attention 

408
00:26:44,670 --> 00:26:48,270
to say that the imagery of a 
great mountain was used by the 

409
00:26:48,270 --> 00:26:52,390
Spirit to speak of a major 
barrier, A towering hindrance 

410
00:26:53,510 --> 00:26:56,190
that stood in the way of the 
will of God being expanded and 

411
00:26:56,190 --> 00:26:59,430
advanced. 
And this is a good reason to 

412
00:26:59,430 --> 00:27:02,750
believe that when Jesus spoke of
uprooting mountains, he was 

413
00:27:02,750 --> 00:27:07,470
Speaking of prayer, having the 
ability to flatten any 

414
00:27:07,470 --> 00:27:11,830
intimidation, any overwhelming 
difficulty that tried to block 

415
00:27:11,830 --> 00:27:14,790
you and I from enjoying God's 
purposes. 

416
00:27:15,710 --> 00:27:17,910
So we're not talking about 
physical hills here, We're 

417
00:27:17,910 --> 00:27:23,990
talking about real life, almost 
impossible to deal with problems

418
00:27:26,150 --> 00:27:27,230
with. 
That being said, the Lord 

419
00:27:27,230 --> 00:27:29,630
translate. 
It's that hyperbolic statement 

420
00:27:29,630 --> 00:27:32,270
in verse 23, right? 
Whoever says to this mountain be

421
00:27:32,270 --> 00:27:36,190
thrown into the sea. 
He translates that analogy to 

422
00:27:36,190 --> 00:27:39,990
real life application. 
And what's the application? 

423
00:27:39,990 --> 00:27:44,510
Look at verse 24 of Mark 11. 
Therefore meaning based on what 

424
00:27:44,510 --> 00:27:47,630
you just heard about speaking to
mountains and seeing them moved 

425
00:27:47,630 --> 00:27:49,270
into the sea, tossing to the 
side. 

426
00:27:49,510 --> 00:27:52,230
Therefore, based on that, here's
what I'm about to say this say 

427
00:27:52,230 --> 00:27:55,230
to you about this. 
Therefore I tell you whatever 

428
00:27:55,230 --> 00:27:59,910
you ask in prayer, believe that 
you have received it and it will

429
00:27:59,910 --> 00:28:04,230
be yours. 
That's how you apply this. 

430
00:28:04,750 --> 00:28:08,950
To see mountains moved to be 
brought down, to be moved to the

431
00:28:08,950 --> 00:28:14,350
side is through prayer. 
And that's our second 

432
00:28:14,350 --> 00:28:16,990
application to seeing God do 
that in our lives. 

433
00:28:17,190 --> 00:28:21,350
Mountain Moving Prayer. 
Means you actually have to pray 

434
00:28:21,430 --> 00:28:25,630
about it. 
That's almost silly to say as a 

435
00:28:25,630 --> 00:28:27,510
point, right? 
A message on prayer. 

436
00:28:27,510 --> 00:28:32,910
One of your points is pray. 
Not very profound, but you and I

437
00:28:32,910 --> 00:28:36,110
are aware that human nature is 
capable of being so shaken, so 

438
00:28:36,110 --> 00:28:42,150
disturbed, so drained, when 
troubles arise that to actually 

439
00:28:42,150 --> 00:28:48,230
bring it and to place it at the 
feet of the Lord is sometimes 

440
00:28:48,310 --> 00:28:53,790
and oftentimes an afterthought. 
And even with some no thought at

441
00:28:53,790 --> 00:29:00,110
all. 
Whatever you ask in prayer, let 

442
00:29:00,110 --> 00:29:03,470
me remind you that moving 
mountains, any impossibility 

443
00:29:03,470 --> 00:29:07,150
that drops into your ministry, 
any mountain that is stretching 

444
00:29:07,150 --> 00:29:09,550
higher and wider in your 
marriage, any mountain that's 

445
00:29:09,550 --> 00:29:12,110
meddling with your children, 
anything that's trying to 

446
00:29:12,110 --> 00:29:15,070
frustrate your business, or any 
other category Jesus says, 

447
00:29:15,070 --> 00:29:20,750
Whatever you ask in prayer will 
not be moved unless you ask, 

448
00:29:22,870 --> 00:29:25,830
Will not move an inch unless you
ask. 

449
00:29:26,350 --> 00:29:29,390
Mountains don't move when you 
complain about the mountains. 

450
00:29:30,310 --> 00:29:33,070
Mountains don't move when you 
stay up all night tossing back 

451
00:29:33,070 --> 00:29:37,710
and forth about the mountain. 
Mountains don't move when you 

452
00:29:38,190 --> 00:29:42,510
torchingly return to the drawing
bar board. 

453
00:29:42,510 --> 00:29:44,790
Try to find a different solution
in your own strength and human 

454
00:29:44,790 --> 00:29:47,670
wisdom. 
Mountains are moved according to

455
00:29:47,670 --> 00:29:49,430
Christ. 
When you open your heart before 

456
00:29:49,430 --> 00:29:52,190
the Lord and spill out your 
needs and your concerns, and you

457
00:29:52,190 --> 00:29:55,350
say, Lord, you have to do 
something about this. 

458
00:29:57,950 --> 00:30:00,750
And like I said, we can get so 
caught up in our thinking, so 

459
00:30:00,750 --> 00:30:03,750
caught up in talking to others 
about it, that we have no energy

460
00:30:03,750 --> 00:30:07,110
left to say, You know what? 
This Wednesday night, I know 

461
00:30:07,110 --> 00:30:09,910
Church has a prayer meeting. 
I'm going to show up, get with 

462
00:30:09,910 --> 00:30:13,350
brothers and sisters, kneel on 
this carpet and ask God to do 

463
00:30:13,350 --> 00:30:18,910
something. 
That's not to say that you don't

464
00:30:18,910 --> 00:30:20,510
plan. 
That's not to say that you don't

465
00:30:20,510 --> 00:30:22,830
invite the council of people. 
But listen to this. 

466
00:30:22,830 --> 00:30:26,950
There are some situations in 
life where your plans or the 

467
00:30:26,950 --> 00:30:31,790
plans of others can't do a thing
about it. 

468
00:30:32,670 --> 00:30:34,390
That's what Jesus is speaking 
about here. 

469
00:30:35,030 --> 00:30:36,510
Can you imagine moving a 
mountain? 

470
00:30:36,510 --> 00:30:39,430
How silly would that look? 
Placing your bare little hands 

471
00:30:39,430 --> 00:30:41,510
on the east side of that hill 
and trying to move it. 

472
00:30:42,630 --> 00:30:44,670
He's giving this hyper relief 
for for a reason. 

473
00:30:44,870 --> 00:30:47,110
There are things in life that 
are like, that's like you can't 

474
00:30:47,110 --> 00:30:48,710
go anywhere. 
I'm standing before this thing 

475
00:30:48,710 --> 00:30:51,230
and I'm living in its shadow. 
What am I to do? 

476
00:30:51,270 --> 00:30:54,230
Ask the God who made the 
mountain. 

477
00:30:54,870 --> 00:30:57,310
Ask the God who has power over 
the mountain. 

478
00:30:58,550 --> 00:31:02,910
Ask well, God is sovereign and 
truly, if he desires to do 

479
00:31:02,910 --> 00:31:04,790
something in my life for his 
will to be accomplished that I 

480
00:31:04,790 --> 00:31:08,070
don't see the need to ask. 
That's not how the economy of 

481
00:31:08,070 --> 00:31:14,230
faith works in God's Kingdom, 
God has His will, and God will 

482
00:31:14,230 --> 00:31:16,750
do things with His common grace 
in our lives. 

483
00:31:16,750 --> 00:31:18,990
But there are some things that 
can only be unlocked. 

484
00:31:19,870 --> 00:31:21,310
When you hit the. 
Floor with your knees. 

485
00:31:23,230 --> 00:31:25,230
Figure that out in your theology
if you will. 

486
00:31:25,230 --> 00:31:28,230
I take the words of Jesus 
literally and seriously. 

487
00:31:30,630 --> 00:31:35,950
I'm reminded of 6 words. 6 words
that Hezekiah, another king, 

488
00:31:36,030 --> 00:31:39,670
heard from the prophet Isaiah 
when he was visited by 

489
00:31:39,670 --> 00:31:43,430
skyscraper situation where you 
could not look to anything else,

490
00:31:43,430 --> 00:31:46,230
outnumbered by the armies of 
Assyria. 

491
00:31:47,110 --> 00:31:51,950
Intimidated, fearful, pushed in 
the corner and here's this is 

492
00:31:51,950 --> 00:31:55,430
precious. 
I mean this is wonderful. 

493
00:31:56,110 --> 00:32:01,590
Isaiah 37, verse 21. 
When I was looking at this 

494
00:32:01,590 --> 00:32:06,670
point, it was these 6 words that
rang through my heart. 

495
00:32:07,750 --> 00:32:14,990
And Isaiah 3721. 
Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent

496
00:32:14,990 --> 00:32:19,230
to Hezekiah saying, Thus says 
the Lord of God of Israel. 

497
00:32:19,230 --> 00:32:28,830
Hear the words because you have 
prayed to me concerning Seneca, 

498
00:32:28,830 --> 00:32:34,430
king of Assyria. 
You see that because you have 

499
00:32:34,550 --> 00:32:38,630
prayed to me, implying what if 
he had not prayed? 

500
00:32:39,950 --> 00:32:41,030
There wouldn't have been an 
answer. 

501
00:32:43,110 --> 00:32:45,630
Did God see the trouble? 
Did God see his city being 

502
00:32:45,630 --> 00:32:47,870
surrounded? 
Did God see that they were going

503
00:32:47,870 --> 00:32:50,910
to be absolutely swallowed by 
foreign enemy? 

504
00:32:51,070 --> 00:32:56,390
You better believe it. 
But it wasn't until he heard the

505
00:32:56,390 --> 00:33:00,750
voice of a man saying, God, 
these are the threats of the 

506
00:33:00,750 --> 00:33:04,550
king of Assyria. 
I'm concerned about your glory. 

507
00:33:04,870 --> 00:33:07,550
What are you going to do? 
Lord, you need to do something 

508
00:33:07,550 --> 00:33:11,390
about this. 
And the prophet comes with a 

509
00:33:11,390 --> 00:33:15,030
pure true word from the Lord. 
Hezekiah, because you have 

510
00:33:15,030 --> 00:33:16,870
prayed to me. 
Watch me now. 

511
00:33:18,310 --> 00:33:21,070
Do you know how freeing that is?
Do you know how freeing that is 

512
00:33:21,070 --> 00:33:24,750
in so many ways? 
What if God doesn't answer? 

513
00:33:25,190 --> 00:33:29,030
Well, I did my part because you 
have prayed. 

514
00:33:29,030 --> 00:33:31,550
Because you have prayed. 
I'm not willing to live my life 

515
00:33:31,550 --> 00:33:35,030
thinking, what if I had prayed? 
I'm going to pray about it. 

516
00:33:35,030 --> 00:33:37,230
I'm going to bring it before 
God. 

517
00:33:38,550 --> 00:33:42,150
And stand back and see if you'll
give me instruction about it, or

518
00:33:42,150 --> 00:33:44,870
if you'll tell me to just stay 
there, be quiet, and watch me 

519
00:33:44,870 --> 00:33:48,150
move. 
We come back to what Jesus says 

520
00:33:48,150 --> 00:33:52,270
here in our text in verse 24. 
Therefore I tell you whatever 

521
00:33:52,270 --> 00:33:53,030
you. 
Ask in prayer. 

522
00:33:53,030 --> 00:33:55,350
Believe that you have received 
it and it will be yours. 

523
00:33:55,350 --> 00:33:57,750
So not just to pray about it, 
but to pray about it in a 

524
00:33:57,750 --> 00:34:02,750
certain way, with expectation, 
with expectation. 

525
00:34:03,430 --> 00:34:08,790
I'm believing that if I pray 
about this, God is going to give

526
00:34:08,790 --> 00:34:12,590
it. 
Some of us are offended by that,

527
00:34:13,070 --> 00:34:17,870
but God invites us into that. 
And you're saying, well, are you

528
00:34:17,870 --> 00:34:21,670
saying that if I pray hard 
enough and long enough and 

529
00:34:21,670 --> 00:34:25,949
passionately enough and 
desperately enough that God will

530
00:34:25,949 --> 00:34:30,550
give me whatever I want? 
No, prayers of faith will never 

531
00:34:30,550 --> 00:34:35,350
fulfill desires of the flesh? 
Do you see who Jesus is speaking

532
00:34:35,350 --> 00:34:37,630
to when he gives these 
instructions as you speak, on a 

533
00:34:37,630 --> 00:34:40,190
mountaintop with thousands of 
people there with questionable 

534
00:34:40,190 --> 00:34:43,590
motives? 
Yes, this is applied to us, and 

535
00:34:43,590 --> 00:34:47,270
yes, this is applied to readers 
of the Bible. 

536
00:34:47,270 --> 00:34:50,830
But it's to these disciples who 
have sold everything to follow 

537
00:34:50,830 --> 00:34:54,270
Christ, who have determined that
their future will be framed by 

538
00:34:54,270 --> 00:34:58,790
one aim, advancing the gospel 
even unto death, who have said 

539
00:34:58,790 --> 00:35:00,830
no to the world and yes to the 
Messiah. 

540
00:35:02,550 --> 00:35:06,590
When you have that as your life,
when your heart has determined 

541
00:35:06,590 --> 00:35:09,150
that in your relationship with 
Christ, that's going to 

542
00:35:09,150 --> 00:35:12,710
formulate how you pray, so this 
isn't a blank check for just 

543
00:35:12,710 --> 00:35:15,270
anybody. 
This is for those who, like the 

544
00:35:15,270 --> 00:35:18,150
disciples, have decided to 
follow Jesus, make their life 

545
00:35:18,150 --> 00:35:20,950
about Jesus, and live to please 
Jesus. 

546
00:35:21,550 --> 00:35:23,910
When? 
When that's there, then this 

547
00:35:23,910 --> 00:35:26,150
applies to you because you're 
going to pray differently than 

548
00:35:26,150 --> 00:35:28,110
the person who's half in with 
Jesus. 

549
00:35:28,990 --> 00:35:32,670
Not going to happen. 
Whatever you ask my followers 

550
00:35:33,070 --> 00:35:37,030
who are living to serve me, who 
when I leave will truly take 

551
00:35:37,030 --> 00:35:39,110
this to heart. 
I'm going to be behind it. 

552
00:35:41,950 --> 00:35:45,550
Pray with expectation, Pray with
longing. 

553
00:35:47,190 --> 00:35:50,750
Come to the place like Nehemiah 
where your reflex when trouble 

554
00:35:50,750 --> 00:35:53,710
visits you when you were 
surprised by something. 

555
00:35:54,230 --> 00:35:55,470
Go Lord, you got to do something
here. 

556
00:35:56,710 --> 00:36:01,310
Oh Lord, help me. 
Oh, what a wonderful thing it 

557
00:36:01,310 --> 00:36:04,510
would be if. 
And I believe it is here. 

558
00:36:06,070 --> 00:36:11,230
If every home here had that mom 
and dad know. 

559
00:36:11,670 --> 00:36:16,350
Kids get around, we got to pray.
We have some troubles here with 

560
00:36:16,350 --> 00:36:18,190
our finances. 
Nothing to worry about, but 

561
00:36:18,190 --> 00:36:22,030
let's bring it to the Lord when 
that report comes in over the 

562
00:36:22,030 --> 00:36:22,910
phone. 
And it's a. 

563
00:36:22,910 --> 00:36:28,350
Tragedy to your family when the 
church When the church needs 

564
00:36:28,350 --> 00:36:30,790
something, we need something, do
we not? 

565
00:36:30,790 --> 00:36:32,030
You were here for the 
announcements, right? 

566
00:36:32,470 --> 00:36:37,150
I forgot what it was. 
What do we do, God? 

567
00:36:38,310 --> 00:36:41,310
You see us where? 
Are we going to go in this 

568
00:36:41,310 --> 00:36:42,990
market? 
What are we going to do at this 

569
00:36:42,990 --> 00:36:45,990
time? 
We have no idea. 

570
00:36:46,150 --> 00:36:50,070
Good ask. 
Come to me. 

571
00:36:50,550 --> 00:36:52,630
Bring it to me. 
I think this message is 

572
00:36:52,630 --> 00:36:54,510
providential. 
I don't know about you. 

573
00:36:54,510 --> 00:36:56,390
I was floating since I've been 
studying it all week. 

574
00:36:56,950 --> 00:36:59,630
Yes, OK. 
Lord, this great mountain will 

575
00:36:59,630 --> 00:37:03,190
be made a plain, not by your 
might, not by your power, but by

576
00:37:03,190 --> 00:37:06,190
my spirit, says the Lord. 
Well, if you want to see the 

577
00:37:06,190 --> 00:37:08,070
Spirit work, you got to partner 
with the Spirit. 

578
00:37:10,990 --> 00:37:13,870
And so we see here that the Lord
gives this very simple 

579
00:37:13,870 --> 00:37:15,830
condition, but one that we often
miss. 

580
00:37:15,830 --> 00:37:17,430
Whatever you ask, you got to 
ask. 

581
00:37:18,070 --> 00:37:20,870
Take that thing, whatever that 
mountain is called, and bring it

582
00:37:20,870 --> 00:37:24,030
to him. 
Say, Lord, this. 

583
00:37:24,390 --> 00:37:26,710
I've read about you. 
I've heard things about you. 

584
00:37:27,030 --> 00:37:29,510
I've listened to enough sermons.
I've read church history. 

585
00:37:29,590 --> 00:37:32,950
I've studied revivals. 
Now here's my own mountain. 

586
00:37:33,870 --> 00:37:36,550
Here's what's happening. 
Lord, do something. 

587
00:37:37,150 --> 00:37:40,030
And I believe with all my heart,
because I have studied you, that

588
00:37:40,030 --> 00:37:44,830
this is nothing to you. 
That's the kind of prayer that 

589
00:37:44,830 --> 00:37:51,870
moves mountains. 
Not half hearted, not 

590
00:37:51,870 --> 00:37:54,230
distracted. 
Not all. 

591
00:37:54,230 --> 00:37:56,110
You know, it's the right thing 
to do to pray. 

592
00:37:56,830 --> 00:37:58,150
Not when somebody asks you to 
pray. 

593
00:37:58,150 --> 00:37:59,710
You're like, yeah, how am I 
going to say no? 

594
00:37:59,710 --> 00:38:00,550
What kind of Christian. 
Yeah. 

595
00:38:00,550 --> 00:38:01,390
Yeah. 
Let's pray about it. 

596
00:38:01,670 --> 00:38:02,590
Thank you, Lord. 
OK. 

597
00:38:02,870 --> 00:38:03,470
Thanks, buddy. 
All right. 

598
00:38:03,550 --> 00:38:05,630
Yeah. 
That doesn't move. 

599
00:38:05,630 --> 00:38:11,950
Nothing. 
Desperate, humble, broken, fully

600
00:38:11,950 --> 00:38:16,110
convinced, kind of praying. 
I believe God can do something 

601
00:38:16,110 --> 00:38:18,750
about it. 
Well, does it have to be big for

602
00:38:18,750 --> 00:38:21,190
God to do something about it? 
Not necessarily, whatever you 

603
00:38:21,190 --> 00:38:28,150
ask in prayer. 
Whatever you ask in prayer, as 

604
00:38:28,150 --> 00:38:31,950
one writer said, let. 
Everything in your life come 

605
00:38:31,950 --> 00:38:38,910
under the care of prayer. 
Just smother it all, Submerge it

606
00:38:38,910 --> 00:38:41,830
all. 
You got to buy a new car, pray 

607
00:38:41,830 --> 00:38:43,670
about it. 
Why not? 

608
00:38:45,310 --> 00:38:46,910
Think about where to move? 
Pray about it. 

609
00:38:47,270 --> 00:38:50,630
Why not? 
Kids being bullied, pray about 

610
00:38:50,630 --> 00:38:52,110
it. 
Why not? 

611
00:38:52,510 --> 00:38:54,710
You're invited to pray for 
whatever. 

612
00:38:55,670 --> 00:38:58,350
Pray. 
Pray in the moment. 

613
00:38:58,510 --> 00:39:00,350
Take time to pray about it like 
Nehemiah. 

614
00:39:01,110 --> 00:39:06,790
Just pray and watch God move. 
I can take the next 10 minutes 

615
00:39:06,790 --> 00:39:10,870
to tell you about stories, 
stories, personal stories. 

616
00:39:11,430 --> 00:39:15,030
How God has shown himself true. 
Everything from new boots. 

617
00:39:15,030 --> 00:39:17,070
As some of you heard that story,
I won't bore you with it again. 

618
00:39:18,230 --> 00:39:24,270
New boots. 
To new cities, new locations. 

619
00:39:25,830 --> 00:39:29,910
From little problems that I need
for the day to be solved, to big

620
00:39:29,910 --> 00:39:32,030
problems where I don't know 
where I'm going to be for the 

621
00:39:32,030 --> 00:39:36,710
rest of my life If this is not 
solved, whatever you ask in 

622
00:39:36,710 --> 00:39:39,590
prayer invite. 
Me into it. 

623
00:39:41,750 --> 00:39:45,510
But we have one more step, one 
more condition for mountain 

624
00:39:45,510 --> 00:39:47,750
moving prayer. 
The first was to have faith. 

625
00:39:47,750 --> 00:39:50,470
Not in prayer, not in your 
devotion. 

626
00:39:51,670 --> 00:39:55,990
In God, grow in your knowledge 
of God and watch your strength 

627
00:39:55,990 --> 00:39:59,110
and your confidence and prayer 
also grow, but from there to 

628
00:39:59,110 --> 00:40:02,430
also identify and express your 
need with expectancy. 

629
00:40:03,950 --> 00:40:11,990
Lastly, live repentedly. 
Before God, verse 25 of Mark 11 

630
00:40:13,230 --> 00:40:15,750
And whenever you stand praying, 
that was a common posture, 

631
00:40:15,750 --> 00:40:23,030
praying of that time forgive if 
you have anything against 

632
00:40:23,030 --> 00:40:27,510
anyone, so that your Father also
who is in heaven, may forgive 

633
00:40:27,510 --> 00:40:34,110
you your trespasses. 
This final condition here is so 

634
00:40:34,110 --> 00:40:37,750
important having. 
Faith in God is foundational. 

635
00:40:37,750 --> 00:40:42,150
Identifying and expressing your 
need to God is essential, but 

636
00:40:42,390 --> 00:40:47,190
without recognizing this you 
will not be able to move A. 

637
00:40:47,190 --> 00:40:51,950
Pebble Unless we take heed to 
what the Lord is saying. 

638
00:40:53,670 --> 00:40:56,230
The Lord essentially in a 
general way, is saying if you 

639
00:40:56,230 --> 00:41:03,510
are willing to justify holding 
on to sin, then you forfeit your

640
00:41:03,510 --> 00:41:06,830
access to miraculous problem 
solving. 

641
00:41:07,630 --> 00:41:10,630
Mountain moving prayer, that's 
what you forfeit. 

642
00:41:11,670 --> 00:41:13,630
And that's that's a threat 
throughout the Bible. 

643
00:41:13,630 --> 00:41:16,070
Even in First Peter 3 when we're
told about husbands and how they

644
00:41:16,070 --> 00:41:17,950
should relate to their wives, 
you know what the threat was for

645
00:41:17,950 --> 00:41:19,310
husbands. 
They don't live in an 

646
00:41:19,310 --> 00:41:20,630
understanding way with their 
wives. 

647
00:41:21,070 --> 00:41:24,990
Your prayers won't be heard. 
I had a friend who told me he 

648
00:41:24,990 --> 00:41:26,830
was recently getting married. 
So are you excited to get 

649
00:41:26,830 --> 00:41:27,910
married? 
He's like, yeah. 

650
00:41:27,990 --> 00:41:30,350
I'm kind of nervous too. 
So why? 

651
00:41:30,350 --> 00:41:32,790
I was expecting difference And 
he says remember that passage 

652
00:41:32,790 --> 00:41:35,550
and. 
And Peter, because, look, I'm 

653
00:41:35,550 --> 00:41:38,190
becoming one with somebody else,
and I've never obviously done 

654
00:41:38,190 --> 00:41:41,470
this before, and I'm just, I 
just want to make sure that God 

655
00:41:41,470 --> 00:41:43,430
gives me the strength so that my
prayers are not hindered based 

656
00:41:43,430 --> 00:41:46,270
on how I treat my wife. 
Wow. 

657
00:41:46,390 --> 00:41:50,070
You know what that tells me 
about that man, about the Bible 

658
00:41:50,070 --> 00:41:51,670
declares about prayer. 
That prayer should be so 

659
00:41:51,670 --> 00:41:54,030
valuable to you, that threat 
should be legitimate. 

660
00:41:55,430 --> 00:41:59,030
Huh. 
Do you feel that when you read 

661
00:41:59,030 --> 00:41:59,830
that? 
Passage. 

662
00:42:00,430 --> 00:42:03,790
The way you treat your spouse 
will determine how God will hear

663
00:42:03,790 --> 00:42:05,150
you. 
Does that cause you to be like, 

664
00:42:07,710 --> 00:42:15,110
hey honey, can we talk? 
Some people have such a low view

665
00:42:15,110 --> 00:42:17,590
of prayer they can read past 
that and not be moved an inch. 

666
00:42:19,990 --> 00:42:21,550
You have not experienced what 
prayer can do. 

667
00:42:21,550 --> 00:42:24,430
You have not tasted His presence
in the secret place. 

668
00:42:24,590 --> 00:42:27,190
You've not. 
Seen it for you not to feel 

669
00:42:27,190 --> 00:42:31,310
something like that. 
And so Jesus now comes and his 

670
00:42:31,310 --> 00:42:34,950
final condition. 
And he says, if you're willing 

671
00:42:34,950 --> 00:42:39,390
to hold on to sin, you're 
willing to let go of this gift, 

672
00:42:40,190 --> 00:42:43,110
not your salvation, but this 
gift, your experience of God 

673
00:42:43,110 --> 00:42:46,070
through this life. 
But what He has specifically in 

674
00:42:46,070 --> 00:42:47,990
view here is the issue of 
unforgiveness. 

675
00:42:49,950 --> 00:42:52,070
And what the Lord essentially is
getting at is if we are 

676
00:42:52,070 --> 00:42:56,150
determined to withhold mercy and
grace from another, you should 

677
00:42:56,150 --> 00:42:59,070
not be surprised when God 
withholds His blessing from you.

678
00:43:03,390 --> 00:43:07,030
I love the Book of Job for many 
reasons. 

679
00:43:07,030 --> 00:43:12,510
It's such a unique book. 
But what moves me about the Book

680
00:43:12,510 --> 00:43:18,590
of Job is how it ends. 
Because if you want one word to 

681
00:43:18,590 --> 00:43:24,110
describe the ending of Job, it's
this restoration, restoration, 

682
00:43:24,790 --> 00:43:26,870
restoration. 
And it's multifaceted. 

683
00:43:27,270 --> 00:43:29,110
Turn with me to Job as we close 
this service. 

684
00:43:33,350 --> 00:43:53,500
Job, Job 42 and verse 7. 
After the Lord had spoken these 

685
00:43:53,500 --> 00:43:56,980
words to Job, the Lord said to 
Eliphaz the Timonite. 

686
00:43:57,180 --> 00:44:00,700
My anger burns against you and 
against your two friends. 

687
00:44:01,420 --> 00:44:04,980
For you have not spoken of me 
what is right as my servant Job 

688
00:44:04,980 --> 00:44:09,820
has now therefore take seven 
bulls and seven Rams and go to 

689
00:44:09,820 --> 00:44:13,260
my servant Job and OfferUp a 
burnt offering for yourselves. 

690
00:44:13,790 --> 00:44:16,110
And my servant Job shall pray 
for you. 

691
00:44:16,630 --> 00:44:20,190
For I will accept his prayer not
to deal with you according to 

692
00:44:20,190 --> 00:44:22,950
your folly. 
For you have not spoken of me 

693
00:44:22,950 --> 00:44:25,470
what is right, as my servant Job
has. 

694
00:44:25,750 --> 00:44:29,830
In these verses God refers to 
Job as my servant 4 times. 

695
00:44:30,550 --> 00:44:34,190
My servant, my servant, my 
servant, my servant. 

696
00:44:34,670 --> 00:44:36,310
He speaks to these three 
friends. 

697
00:44:37,470 --> 00:44:38,830
Interestingly, he doesn't bring 
up Eli. 

698
00:44:38,830 --> 00:44:40,350
Who the the youngest one out of 
them. 

699
00:44:41,310 --> 00:44:42,470
We can talk about that another 
time. 

700
00:44:42,470 --> 00:44:47,670
But these three friends, and he 
tells them you're wrong, and I'm

701
00:44:47,670 --> 00:44:49,750
going to vindicate the innocence
of my servant. 

702
00:44:49,750 --> 00:44:55,550
And the way I'm going to do that
is have you humble yourself to 

703
00:44:55,550 --> 00:45:00,830
come before him and to seek his 
pardon, His forgiveness 

704
00:45:01,230 --> 00:45:06,150
expressed through prayer. 
And when you do that, then I 

705
00:45:06,150 --> 00:45:09,070
will hear you and I will answer 
you. 

706
00:45:10,910 --> 00:45:13,590
In other words, what the Lord is
teaching these people here is 

707
00:45:13,590 --> 00:45:17,590
that to be reconciled with Job 
is necessary before you seek to 

708
00:45:17,590 --> 00:45:19,350
worship and receive anything 
from Me. 

709
00:45:23,110 --> 00:45:25,150
And so they went, and they did 
so. 

710
00:45:25,150 --> 00:45:30,590
And as much as Job's prayer was 
a condition for these men to 

711
00:45:30,590 --> 00:45:35,150
experience renewal, right it's 
it's pretty clear plain this is 

712
00:45:35,150 --> 00:45:39,550
the part that moves me Job 
praying for His friends was 

713
00:45:39,550 --> 00:45:42,590
necessary for him to know 
renewal. 

714
00:45:44,070 --> 00:45:47,430
Him praying was not just for his
friends to experience 

715
00:45:47,430 --> 00:45:51,070
restoration with God. 
Him willing to pray for them was

716
00:45:51,070 --> 00:45:54,830
also necessary. 
For him to know the fullness of 

717
00:45:54,830 --> 00:45:57,910
restoration, prove it. 
Look at verse 10. 

718
00:45:58,790 --> 00:46:04,950
And the Lord restored the 
fortunes of Job when he had 

719
00:46:04,950 --> 00:46:09,630
prayed for his friends. 
And the Lord gave Job twice as 

720
00:46:09,630 --> 00:46:13,230
much as he had before. 
It's clear Job's fortunes were 

721
00:46:13,230 --> 00:46:16,950
not restored until until he 
prayed for his friends. 

722
00:46:18,750 --> 00:46:21,950
So God was not willing to move 
on behalf of these friends. 

723
00:46:22,030 --> 00:46:25,030
And God was not willing to move 
into the life of Job to the 

724
00:46:25,030 --> 00:46:27,150
fullest extent until they 
reconciled. 

725
00:46:27,910 --> 00:46:31,110
You have to go and acknowledge 
my my servant Job was innocent, 

726
00:46:31,110 --> 00:46:33,470
you were wrong and accusing him.
And you read about all those 

727
00:46:33,470 --> 00:46:35,670
accusations throughout Job and 
Job. 

728
00:46:36,910 --> 00:46:42,990
My servant, before I restore to 
you anything, forgive them. 

729
00:46:45,470 --> 00:46:49,630
This man was not just blistered 
with actual sores, but was 

730
00:46:50,630 --> 00:46:54,150
harassed by the railing slander 
of these friends. 

731
00:46:54,310 --> 00:46:55,270
Cough. 
It up job. 

732
00:46:55,510 --> 00:46:57,750
You can't experience all this 
without being a Sinner in 

733
00:46:57,750 --> 00:46:58,910
secret. 
What did you do? 

734
00:46:58,910 --> 00:47:00,590
Did you sleep with somebody 
else's wife? 

735
00:47:02,950 --> 00:47:05,430
Did you rip off the poor? 
But you? 

736
00:47:05,430 --> 00:47:06,190
Blasphemy. 
God. 

737
00:47:06,190 --> 00:47:08,030
Cough it up, man. 
Imagine your friends doing that.

738
00:47:08,430 --> 00:47:11,110
The Council of Job's friends was
best when they were silent for 

739
00:47:11,110 --> 00:47:14,310
several days. 
Problems arose when they began 

740
00:47:14,310 --> 00:47:17,870
to speak up. 
Imagine all of this. 

741
00:47:18,630 --> 00:47:21,230
Imagine the bitterness, the 
resentment, the anger. 

742
00:47:22,310 --> 00:47:25,710
I spent all those chapters 
telling you that I, my 

743
00:47:25,710 --> 00:47:27,710
conscience, am innocent and you 
didn't believe me. 

744
00:47:29,510 --> 00:47:31,670
Now you want me to pray for you 
on top of it? 

745
00:47:34,270 --> 00:47:36,630
You know, prayer is one of the 
strongest indications that you 

746
00:47:36,630 --> 00:47:39,990
have forgiven somebody. 
Prayer for that person is one of

747
00:47:39,990 --> 00:47:44,710
the strongest marks that you 
have moved from resentment to 

748
00:47:44,710 --> 00:47:49,910
relief. 
You know what? 

749
00:47:49,910 --> 00:47:54,430
This truth makes me wonder? 
How much blessing is being kept 

750
00:47:54,430 --> 00:48:01,950
from those because they have not
yet prayed for others who have 

751
00:48:01,950 --> 00:48:10,950
hurt them? 
Personally, I stepped back and 

752
00:48:10,950 --> 00:48:19,350
thought, Lord, far be it from me
that if in my heart I'm holding 

753
00:48:19,350 --> 00:48:22,790
something against someone and 
that resulting in you holding 

754
00:48:22,790 --> 00:48:29,150
back something from me, you know
that might be true of you today.

755
00:48:31,110 --> 00:48:35,310
Be a Christian long enough and 
you will know pain and hurt. 

756
00:48:35,750 --> 00:48:42,870
Even if you're not a Christian, 
if you do not let go, God will 

757
00:48:42,870 --> 00:48:44,710
not be able to open the 
floodgates. 

758
00:48:46,390 --> 00:48:51,150
If you cannot stand in prayer 
and forgive, then God will not 

759
00:48:51,390 --> 00:48:54,790
give you the solution to that 
mountain. 

760
00:48:59,190 --> 00:49:00,630
That can all change today, 
though. 

761
00:49:02,590 --> 00:49:05,550
You know why? 
Because this lesson on prayer 

762
00:49:05,550 --> 00:49:09,070
with the withered fig tree 
immediately follows Jesus 

763
00:49:09,070 --> 00:49:10,910
cleansing the temple. 
And you know what Jesus said 

764
00:49:10,910 --> 00:49:13,990
when he cleanse the temple, my 
house shall be called what? 

765
00:49:14,430 --> 00:49:15,990
A House of prayer. 
How fitting. 

766
00:49:17,590 --> 00:49:18,950
My house shall be called the 
House of prayer. 

767
00:49:18,950 --> 00:49:20,150
Now let me teach you about 
prayer. 

768
00:49:20,150 --> 00:49:23,110
And here you are in the new 
covenant in the House of God. 

769
00:49:23,630 --> 00:49:25,270
I'm going to challenge you to do
something today. 

770
00:49:26,710 --> 00:49:29,350
Instead of just wrapping this 
up, having two songs and going 

771
00:49:29,350 --> 00:49:34,070
our merry way, I'm going to ask 
you if you want this kind of 

772
00:49:34,310 --> 00:49:42,870
heavenly favor over your life, 
to forgive, to forgive people 

773
00:49:42,870 --> 00:49:45,190
who have. 
Said things about you who have 

774
00:49:45,190 --> 00:49:48,190
done things to you who have 
stolen from you, who have tried 

775
00:49:48,190 --> 00:49:54,230
to kill you and. 
Say, Lord, I want to be free. 

776
00:49:55,670 --> 00:49:58,470
I want to be free. 
And that might be for some of 

777
00:49:58,470 --> 00:50:00,470
you, but you know what was going
to be for all of us, because 

778
00:50:00,470 --> 00:50:02,590
there's going to be a two-part 
response to this message. 

779
00:50:02,590 --> 00:50:06,550
The first one is for all of us 
to to sit still and to get right

780
00:50:06,550 --> 00:50:12,190
with the Lord in this area. 
I refuse to live my life with 

781
00:50:12,190 --> 00:50:16,110
blockage vertically because I'm 
not willing to let go 

782
00:50:16,710 --> 00:50:20,150
horizontally. 
And we can go in the next 30 

783
00:50:20,150 --> 00:50:21,710
minutes about what forgiveness 
looks like. 

784
00:50:21,750 --> 00:50:23,590
Let me tell you what forgiveness
isn't. 

785
00:50:23,590 --> 00:50:27,390
It isn't you not feeling pain, 
even if it's been years since 

786
00:50:27,390 --> 00:50:30,630
you've been hurt. 
It's not you forgetting what 

787
00:50:30,630 --> 00:50:33,390
happened either. 
Forgiveness is you saying. 

788
00:50:33,390 --> 00:50:38,070
I refuse to entertain, to 
wallow, to enjoy the thought and

789
00:50:38,070 --> 00:50:43,430
even to plan revenge. 
That's I'm done. 

790
00:50:44,070 --> 00:50:45,230
It's not. 
It's not up to me. 

791
00:50:47,070 --> 00:50:50,950
I refuse. 
And one of the ways in which you

792
00:50:50,950 --> 00:50:54,550
know you're free from that. 
Because sometimes unforgiveness 

793
00:50:54,910 --> 00:50:57,030
is empowering. 
That's why we hold on to it. 

794
00:50:57,510 --> 00:51:00,830
We think about and we play these
things in our minds, and we 

795
00:51:00,830 --> 00:51:04,470
almost wish harm upon those who 
have hurt us. 

796
00:51:06,430 --> 00:51:07,870
And that thing needs to be 
broken. 

797
00:51:10,070 --> 00:51:13,470
And the way one of the ways in 
which there is light now and 

798
00:51:13,470 --> 00:51:17,310
there is freedom is that you 
could say Lord, so and so. 

799
00:51:18,310 --> 00:51:23,190
I'm asking that you have mercy 
on them genuinely from my heart.

800
00:51:23,190 --> 00:51:25,390
And one of the motivators for 
that is how many times have I 

801
00:51:25,390 --> 00:51:28,790
failed you? 
And you've extended mercy to me,

802
00:51:28,790 --> 00:51:32,390
over and over and over. 
And if you feel like that is not

803
00:51:32,390 --> 00:51:36,070
even enough motivation to 
forgive another person, revisit 

804
00:51:36,070 --> 00:51:40,670
the absolute holiness of God and
realize just how heinous and 

805
00:51:40,670 --> 00:51:44,150
evil even the smallest offences 
are to him. 

806
00:51:44,470 --> 00:51:46,150
And realize he takes you back 
every time. 

807
00:51:46,950 --> 00:51:50,270
Every time he doesn't put you in
a penalty box for a few days, 

808
00:51:50,270 --> 00:51:52,310
they prove yourself and then we 
can go back at this thing. 

809
00:51:52,510 --> 00:51:54,630
The moment you say forgive me 
goes I've forgiven you. 

810
00:51:56,030 --> 00:51:57,870
Let. 
Fuel your forgiveness in that 

811
00:51:57,870 --> 00:52:03,110
place. 
Say, Lord, forgive. 

812
00:52:04,350 --> 00:52:07,910
Forgive them. 
Bless them, not bless them while

813
00:52:07,910 --> 00:52:09,870
they remain in their sin. 
Lord, be kind to them. 

814
00:52:09,870 --> 00:52:12,350
And instead of extending 
judgment to them, would you so 

815
00:52:12,350 --> 00:52:14,710
overwhelm them with your mercy 
that their hearts melt and 

816
00:52:14,710 --> 00:52:17,510
they're restored to you? 
Do that for them, please. 

817
00:52:18,870 --> 00:52:21,390
That's the type of prayer of a 
person who is forgiven. 

818
00:52:23,710 --> 00:52:27,830
That's the first part. 
Second part is this church. 

819
00:52:28,790 --> 00:52:31,110
Aren't you excited that we have 
a great mountain before us in 

820
00:52:31,110 --> 00:52:32,990
this next year? 
We do. 

821
00:52:34,390 --> 00:52:37,230
And don't think that we just 
started off this campaign with a

822
00:52:37,230 --> 00:52:39,670
lengthy announcement and we're 
just going to revisit it once or

823
00:52:39,670 --> 00:52:40,590
twice. 
No, we got to. 

824
00:52:40,590 --> 00:52:43,310
Pray. 
And we got to say, Lord, here we

825
00:52:43,310 --> 00:52:48,510
are, NBC and here's a mountain. 
Do something, Lord do. 

826
00:52:48,510 --> 00:52:51,910
If you don't come through, we're
finished here, we don't come 

827
00:52:51,910 --> 00:52:52,790
through. 
We're going to get a lot of 

828
00:52:52,790 --> 00:52:57,710
tickets on our cars. 
Lord, you need to come through. 

829
00:52:57,710 --> 00:53:00,310
Lord, we're. 
Grateful for the space. 

830
00:53:00,310 --> 00:53:02,350
But look, it's been 3 weeks in a
row and people are still back 

831
00:53:02,350 --> 00:53:05,270
there. 
Lord, you got to come through. 

832
00:53:05,270 --> 00:53:06,750
We're going to do that. 
So here's what we're going to 

833
00:53:06,750 --> 00:53:08,710
do, OK? 
We're not in a rush, right? 

834
00:53:08,710 --> 00:53:10,590
It's the Lord's there, right? 
Good. 

835
00:53:10,590 --> 00:53:12,830
I'm. 
Going to ask. 

836
00:53:13,590 --> 00:53:15,710
For one or two of the musicians 
to play gently, just for the 

837
00:53:15,710 --> 00:53:18,950
sake of limiting distraction. 
I'm going to ask every single 

838
00:53:18,950 --> 00:53:21,270
one of you before we move that 
second part as a church crying 

839
00:53:21,270 --> 00:53:23,990
out to the Lord for you to think
about that last part. 

840
00:53:24,550 --> 00:53:27,390
Having faith in God and and 
identifying and expressing your 

841
00:53:27,390 --> 00:53:31,670
need to God won't go anywhere 
unless you first forgiven. 

842
00:53:32,630 --> 00:53:35,910
Let your heart be set free today
with that truth. 

843
00:53:36,350 --> 00:53:38,990
Give them to the Lord. 
Bless them, Pray for your 

844
00:53:38,990 --> 00:53:42,590
enemies. 
Our Jesus said, what do you pray

845
00:53:42,590 --> 00:53:44,430
for? 
Lord? 

846
00:53:44,430 --> 00:53:48,270
I'm praying for my enemies. 
No, pray for them and then we'll

847
00:53:48,270 --> 00:53:51,150
transition and say here we are. 
Lord, our hearts are clean. 

848
00:53:51,150 --> 00:53:54,430
We've released this and now we 
come and we say, please help us 

849
00:53:54,430 --> 00:53:56,990
with this mountain. 
Make this great mountain into a 

850
00:53:56,990 --> 00:53:59,150
plain. 
Oh God, I'm so excited to do 

851
00:53:59,150 --> 00:54:01,990
this today. 
Come ahead, Miss Houston's. 

852
00:54:01,990 --> 00:54:04,510
Yes, and just do that. 
Don't distract anybody. 

853
00:54:04,510 --> 00:54:06,390
Let them be with the Lord in 
this. 

854
00:54:06,870 --> 00:54:09,430
And in a few moments, I'll come 
back up here and give us 

855
00:54:09,430 --> 00:54:11,350
instructions on how we'll close 
out the service. 

856
00:54:11,830 --> 00:57:41,070
Spend time with God. 
Well we put these names before 

857
00:57:41,070 --> 00:57:44,390
your throne. 
It might have been parents, 

858
00:57:44,390 --> 00:57:47,750
might have been siblings, might 
have been church people, might 

859
00:57:47,750 --> 00:57:52,910
have been a pastor, an elder, a 
Deacon, a Co worker, a boss. 

860
00:57:52,910 --> 00:57:59,150
Lord, well, we just bring them 
to you now. 

861
00:57:59,150 --> 00:58:04,830
We say, God, we forgive them, 
and we want you to bless them. 

862
00:58:06,310 --> 00:58:08,030
We want you to have mercy on 
them. 

863
00:58:10,190 --> 00:58:12,710
We want them to be overcome by 
your love. 

864
00:58:15,230 --> 00:58:18,830
Lord, we ask that they would not
remain in their sin, that they 

865
00:58:18,830 --> 00:58:21,430
would no longer justify the 
things that they've not even 

866
00:58:21,430 --> 00:58:24,390
done to us, but that Lord, in 
your kindness you would lead 

867
00:58:24,390 --> 00:58:28,990
them to repentance. 
We do not wish for judgment upon

868
00:58:28,990 --> 00:58:33,830
them, but for your mercy to 
triumph instead. 

869
00:58:35,750 --> 00:58:40,190
Lord, let this be the defining 
moment for some, perhaps to know

870
00:58:40,190 --> 00:58:42,590
a freedom that they've never 
experienced before. 

871
00:58:45,390 --> 00:58:47,030
We will not steal from you, 
Lord. 

872
00:58:47,030 --> 00:58:51,710
You said vengeance is mine, says
the Lord, and I will repay. 

873
00:58:52,990 --> 00:58:56,670
We give that right to you. 
We don't even want that to be in

874
00:58:56,670 --> 00:59:00,510
our imagination, never mind 
scheming and hoping. 

875
00:59:00,510 --> 00:59:02,470
Lord, we don't want to murder 
their reputation. 

876
00:59:03,790 --> 00:59:05,790
We don't want to continue 
speaking about the hurt that 

877
00:59:05,790 --> 00:59:06,950
they've done to us. 
Lord. 

878
00:59:08,910 --> 00:59:12,230
If there's going to be any 
energy spent on those people who

879
00:59:12,230 --> 00:59:16,030
have hurt us is to pray. 
Help us do that, That in every 

880
00:59:16,030 --> 00:59:19,630
complaint that comes from our 
heart and every remembrance that

881
00:59:19,630 --> 00:59:23,750
only strengthens our bitterness,
we would say, Lord, please heal 

882
00:59:23,750 --> 00:59:27,150
me and heal them. 
Bring us to that place, Lord, a 

883
00:59:27,150 --> 00:59:30,550
freedom, and help us believe 
that you've set a principle with

884
00:59:30,550 --> 00:59:34,670
Job's life that fortunes are 
released when we have that 

885
00:59:34,670 --> 00:59:37,830
release. 
We don't want anything to get in

886
00:59:37,830 --> 00:59:40,270
the way. 
Lord, between you for giving us,

887
00:59:40,270 --> 00:59:47,470
you answering us, us having your
full pleasure reigning over our 

888
00:59:47,470 --> 00:59:51,510
lives. 
In Jesus name we pray. 

889
00:59:52,070 --> 00:59:54,470
Amen. 
Church, would you stand with me?

890
00:59:54,470 --> 01:00:00,150
We're going to now get into the 
second part of this and as the 

891
01:00:00,150 --> 01:00:01,590
precinct comes up, as we're 
ready to. 

892
01:00:02,870 --> 01:00:04,390
Sing and closing. 
I want us to. 

893
01:00:05,750 --> 01:00:08,990
I want us to really pray. 
Pray with expectation. 

894
01:00:13,030 --> 01:00:17,670
God owns everything. 
And you read the story of Ezra 

895
01:00:17,670 --> 01:00:20,950
and Nehemiah and even Hagai. 
You realize that God is 

896
01:00:20,950 --> 01:00:23,390
sovereign over the kings of 
Persia, the kings of Babylon, 

897
01:00:23,870 --> 01:00:28,430
over every politician, and in 
our context, every village. 

898
01:00:34,390 --> 01:00:36,630
This is not just a time for us 
to see how God will come through

899
01:00:36,630 --> 01:00:38,550
with resources. 
This is a time, I believe with 

900
01:00:38,550 --> 01:00:41,070
all my heart designated to see 
what God will do with prayer, 

901
01:00:41,750 --> 01:00:43,990
what God will do with prayer 
when the church prays. 

902
01:00:45,030 --> 01:00:49,110
And so I'm just asking you now 
with full attention, just to 

903
01:00:49,110 --> 01:00:52,430
engage in this act of faith, to 
pray. 

904
01:00:54,510 --> 01:00:56,870
And so give your complete focus 
with me now as we turn to the 

905
01:00:56,870 --> 01:00:58,910
Lord. 
This isn't showmanship. 

906
01:00:58,910 --> 01:01:01,670
This isn't just the emotional 
way of ending a service, really,

907
01:01:01,670 --> 01:01:03,030
to pray. 
My house shall be called the 

908
01:01:03,030 --> 01:01:05,070
House of Prayer. 
God longs to hear our voices 

909
01:01:05,630 --> 01:01:10,710
this Sunday afternoon. 
Lord, we look to you with 

910
01:01:10,750 --> 01:01:14,870
absolute trust in you. 
We have read of you and we have 

911
01:01:14,870 --> 01:01:17,510
heard of you. 
You are the God of Abraham, 

912
01:01:17,510 --> 01:01:20,830
Isaac, and Jacob. 
You are the God of Joseph. 

913
01:01:21,390 --> 01:01:24,990
You are the God of Daniel. 
You are the God of Isaiah. 

914
01:01:24,990 --> 01:01:30,190
Jeremiah Ezekiel, you are the 
God who has heard many prayers, 

915
01:01:30,710 --> 01:01:34,030
the prayers of individuals, the 
prayers of your people, Israel 

916
01:01:35,150 --> 01:01:37,750
and Lord. 
You are the same God today who 

917
01:01:37,750 --> 01:01:41,150
now in the New Covenant has 
given us the access to you. 

918
01:01:42,470 --> 01:01:45,030
The access that's not limited to
a temple, the access that's not 

919
01:01:45,870 --> 01:01:48,790
gained through several 
sacrifices, but through the 

920
01:01:48,790 --> 01:01:51,990
blood of your son, the once and 
for all sacrifice. 

921
01:01:51,990 --> 01:01:54,990
We have boldness and confidence 
to come before your throne. 

922
01:01:55,790 --> 01:01:57,470
Lord, you know our hearts. 
You know that we love the 

923
01:01:57,470 --> 01:01:59,870
gospel. 
We love your word. 

924
01:02:00,430 --> 01:02:02,830
We want to be holy. 
We want to please you. 

925
01:02:03,510 --> 01:02:06,430
And, Lord, we have a need. 
We have a need today. 

926
01:02:07,270 --> 01:02:09,430
Lord, we thank you for the 
growth in this church. 

927
01:02:09,950 --> 01:02:11,910
We thank you for the people that
you're changing. 

928
01:02:12,430 --> 01:02:14,870
We thank you for the maturity 
that's being realized in our 

929
01:02:14,870 --> 01:02:16,790
faith as we gather week after 
week. 

930
01:02:17,270 --> 01:02:20,990
But, Lord, we are limited today.
We're being strained today, 

931
01:02:20,990 --> 01:02:23,470
Lord. 
We have great hopes and dreams 

932
01:02:23,470 --> 01:02:26,270
and desires for your will, O 
God, and for your name's sake. 

933
01:02:27,030 --> 01:02:29,470
So, Lord, we ask that you make 
this great mountain into a 

934
01:02:29,470 --> 01:02:31,750
plain. 
And we pray, Lord, from the 

935
01:02:31,750 --> 01:02:33,670
bottom of our hearts, that we 
would see a miracle of 

936
01:02:33,670 --> 01:02:35,630
provision. 
And that, Lord, you would 

937
01:02:35,630 --> 01:02:38,510
highlight and make known a place
that you have designated for 

938
01:02:38,510 --> 01:02:42,430
Maranatha Bible Church. 
Lord, we will not fear nor fret.

939
01:02:42,950 --> 01:02:45,550
Help us remember that as we 
advance your Kingdom, Satan will

940
01:02:45,550 --> 01:02:48,790
not sit idly by. 
He will seek to frustrate and 

941
01:02:48,790 --> 01:02:51,150
divide. 
And agitate. 

942
01:02:51,350 --> 01:02:54,750
Our own hearts and the hearts of
the people here gathered. 

943
01:02:55,230 --> 01:02:58,510
So Lord, help us be equipped, 
equipped with the full armor of 

944
01:02:58,510 --> 01:03:01,710
God, mindful that although this 
is a nice desire to ask for, 

945
01:03:01,830 --> 01:03:04,790
this is war with the Kingdom of 
darkness. 

946
01:03:05,470 --> 01:03:08,630
And so we pray for protection 
over our minds, our hearts, our 

947
01:03:08,630 --> 01:03:12,190
unity, our love against 
persecution that would try to 

948
01:03:12,190 --> 01:03:14,070
hinder us meeting here 
peaceably. 

949
01:03:14,910 --> 01:03:16,910
And we pray, Lord, that you 
would come through in a way 

950
01:03:16,910 --> 01:03:19,070
that's undeniable. 
Let there be no confusion that 

951
01:03:19,070 --> 01:03:21,750
when this does happen that 
you're the one who did it. 

952
01:03:22,150 --> 01:03:27,030
This is our desire, Lord, that 
in 2024, leading into 2025, 

953
01:03:27,230 --> 01:03:30,070
there would be an amazing 
testimony in the Chicagoland 

954
01:03:30,070 --> 01:03:32,510
area. 
And that Lord, when you do bring

955
01:03:32,510 --> 01:03:35,550
us through and people ask when 
did you come here and how did 

956
01:03:35,550 --> 01:03:37,630
you come here? 
We'd be able to say, listen to 

957
01:03:37,630 --> 01:03:40,670
what God has done. 
This is our yearning and our 

958
01:03:40,670 --> 01:03:44,190
plea, Lord, And we ask, 
believing that you will provide.

959
01:03:44,990 --> 01:03:49,230
For this church, for every 
person's need here in their 

960
01:03:49,230 --> 01:03:52,270
family, with their jobs, with, 
with any struggle. 

961
01:03:52,270 --> 01:03:57,310
Lord, move those mountains. 
Today help us graduate in prayer

962
01:03:57,310 --> 01:04:00,790
for your glory and we say thanks
to you together in Jesus name. 

963
01:04:01,390 --> 01:04:03,310
Amen. 
Let's sink to the Lord together.