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There's a lot of garage sales 
signs always up around Secret 

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Harbour and the devil decided to
have a garage sale and it was 

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advertised that he was putting a
lot of these old tools up for 

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sale. 
On the date of the sale, the two

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tools were placed out on tables 
for public inspection, prices 

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next to them, each marked with 
its sale price as I said, And 

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there was a treacherous lot of 
implements for sale. 

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You could buy hatred, envy, 
jealousy was for sale, doubt, 

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lying, pride and so on all 
Satan's tools. 

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But laid apart from the rest of 
the pile was a harmless looking 

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tool, well worn, priced 
extremely high. 

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The name of the tool wasn't on 
there. 

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So one of the buyers said, 
what's what's that one over 

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there and why is it so pricey 
and what is the name of that 

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tool? 
Or said the adversary saying he 

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says that's discouragement. 
Why have you priced it so high? 

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The buyer said well, he said, 
because it's more useful to me 

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than than the others. 
I can pray open and get inside a

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person's heart with that one 
when I cannot get near him with 

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other tools. 
Now once I get inside, I can 

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make him or her do what I 
choose. 

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It's a deadly word tool because 
I use it on almost everyone. 

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Very few people know that it 
belongs to me. 

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I want to ask you tonight, have 
you ever felt like giving up? 

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And you got to that place and 
went, Nah, I'm just done. 

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Some have gone to church with 
the thought of giving up on 

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their marriage. 
Some have sat in a church 

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concerned about their son or 
daughter that's just gone one 

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too many times. 
And I thought of giving up on 

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their son or daughter. 
And others have come to church 

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and gone. 
You know, this is the last time 

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I'm coming. 
I'm giving up on you, God. 

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I've tried everything. 
I've tried this, tried that. 

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I'm giving up on you, God. 
Well, tonight in our series on 

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the parables of Jesus here in 
Luke's Gospel, we see the 

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amazing power of prayer not 
spoken so much by humanity. 

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Not many people got the shops 
gone. 

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You know, I was at prayer 
meeting the other day. 

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I was praying for this. 
I just think that what I will 

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fix everything but the Bible. 
The Holy Scriptures repeatedly 

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proclaim the power of prayer to 
us and the Bible repeatedly 

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proclaims the importance to God 
and ourselves of prayer. 

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I'm reading just finished first 
Chronicles and now I'm going 

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through second Chronicles. 
And you know, every bad king 

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never sought the Lord. 
Every good king sought the Lord.

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When they didn't seek the Lord, 
they lost in the battle. 

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And actually first and second 
Chronicles could be called 

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called the books, books of wars 
and mass deaths. 

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Soldiers here hundreds and 
thousands just battle after 

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battle dying when they haven't 
sought the Lord. 

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In this parable, the aim of 
Jesus. 

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And remember parable has one 
point. 

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It's a earthly story with a 
heavenly meaning. 

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The parable, the aim of Jesus, 
the whole thrust of this one 

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parable, just 8 verses, is God 
proclaiming to us tonight and 

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you're at a prayer meeting. 
So it's amazing the willingness 

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of God, our loving heavenly 
Father. 

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Remember those words. 
He is our loving heavenly 

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Father, urging us, calling us to
come to him in prayer and to 

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seek his help. 
Isn't that what parents do with 

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their kids when they what don't 
you tell me when you ask why 

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don't you come to me? 
You know I would have God's the 

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same when you come and seek his 
help. 

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Why don't you come and ask for 
my strength? 

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Why don't you come and ask for 
my power in the situation? 

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Why don't you come when you're 
when you were in pain, when 

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you're frail, when you were 
teetering on the edge, on the 

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precipice of giving up? 
Let's read the text. 

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Luke 18 one. 
Then he spoke a parable to them 

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that men. 
Now notice this. 

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This is what Jesus says. 
Notice the first verse. 

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If you don't get any of the 
other verses, look at the first 

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verse and it's a memory verse 
for you to learn. 

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Then Jesus spoke a parable to 
them. 

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What? 
That men always ought to pray 

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and not lose heart? 
I'm going to read that again. 

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Men always ought to pray and 
what not lose heart. 

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And the old King James, I like 
it better and not fight saying 

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here's the story. 
There wasn't a certain city, a 

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judge or a magistrate who did 
not fear God nor regard men. 

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So he wasn't really interested 
in anyone, just that he did his 

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job. 
Now there was a widow in that 

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city, and she came to him 
saying, get justice for me from 

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my adversary. 
And the judge would not for a 

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while. 
But afterward he said within 

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himself, though I do not fear 
God nor regard man, so he's an 

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atheist, yet because this widow 
troubles me, I will avenge her, 

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lest by her continual coming she
weary me. 

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Then Jesus said, hear what the 
unjust judge said. 

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There's your focus. 
Focus on what? 

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The unjudge unjust judge said. 
And shall God not avenge his own

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elect, who cry out day and night
to him? 

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Notice what does a Christian do?
Cry out how often, day and 

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night, though he bears long with
them, I tell you that he will 

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avenge them speedily. 
Nevertheless, when the Son of 

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Man comes, will he really find 
faith that is US trusting in Him

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on the earth? 
Doctor Luke teaches often 

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stories about widows. 
As a matter of fact, he mentions

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widows more than any other 
gospel writer. 

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In fact, he mentions more of 
them than all the other gospels 

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combined. 
He talks about widows. 

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Widows in that day had a most 
difficult time simply surviving.

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We read in the book of Acts that
the early church was very 

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serious about the care of a 
genuine widow. 

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Paul even wrote in his pastoral 
epistles how and what sort of 

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capacity we need to look at 
caring for widow who is a widow.

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Indeed, the background, the 
culture, the aroma to this, the 

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setting of our text is important
for us to know. 

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This is Eastern culture. 
We need to understand that the 

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courtroom was in fact a tent 
that was moved from place to 

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place around Israel. 
As the magistrate, as the judge 

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moved from town to town and 
people brought their cases to 

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him, anybody could watch the 
proceedings. 

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They were open to the public, 
but only those who were approved

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and accepted could have their 
cases officially tried. 

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So not everyone, but you had to 
be except like, I'll deal with 

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your situation. 
This usually meant in these 

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times, as we sing about the 
character of the judge here, 

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because he didn't care about 
anybody. 

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He usually meant a bribe to the 
judge's assistant. 

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So he he would call the judges 
attention to the case judge. 

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I've got a great the lady she's 
giving me, be good to hear it. 

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No worries. 
Bring her in. 

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So the widow, assistant widow 
had three obstacles to overcome 

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at this time, however. 
One, she was a woman. 

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Therefore, she had little 
standing before the Lord, Law, 

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the law, because in those times 
women and what they said was not

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received or allowed in court. 
They didn't go to court. 

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Two, since she was a widow, her 
husband had died, she had no 

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husband to stand with her in 
court. 

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She went in alone. 
Three, finally, she was poor, 

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could not pay a bribe even if 
she wanted to. 

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Now Jesus teaches us beautifully
tonight in this parable, 3 

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things we need to know about why
God wants so, wants us to seek 

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him in prayer, and why it 
matters so much to God that he 

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would, that we would or should 
come to him and pray it. 

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It matters to God. 
Firstly, if we don't pray, we'll

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fight the old King James, you 
King James, we lose heart. 

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He spoke a parable unto them. 
Men ought, always ought to pray 

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and not lose heart and not 
faint. 

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The word faint or lose heart 
means to be utterly spiritless. 

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No gas in the tank, just 
deflated. 

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It means to be wearied out. 
It means to be exhausted. 

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Aren't we living in a world 
today that is absolutely gassed?

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One thing you want to do one 
day, and I do it. 

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Helen often goes into the shop 
where there's no chair. 

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So the shop, it's not been 
designed by a man and I'll find 

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a chair to sit down and I'll 
watch people in and out walking 

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through a shopping centre and 
everyone's yawning, they're all 

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yawning, they're gassed. 
But also have you ever fainted? 

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You know, actually the blood 
pressure drops, you feel 

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yourself going and there is 
nothing you can do about it 

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today. 
I believe because the church 

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doesn't pray, much of the church
doesn't pray today. 

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The church has lost its heart. 
The church is is this case. 

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People coming to church on a 
Sunday, many of them and they 

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are spiritless. 
They are wearied out. 

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They just trying to make it from
day to day, week to week and 

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they're exhausted. 
People coming to church and 

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often they'll just sit. 
They're exhausted. 

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You and I live in a world that 
is totally opposed to the things

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of Christ. 
Totally. 

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Paul warned us not to be 
conformed to this world. 

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Don't be like the world. 
Don't be moulded by the way of 

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the world, moulded by its power.
Don't be moulded into its 

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philosophies, into its fashions.
Paul taught us in Romans one a 

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12 verse one. 
I beg you, therefore, brethren, 

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by the mercies of God, that you 
present your bodies a living 

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sacrifice, holy, acceptable to 
God, which is your reasonable or

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logical service. 
And do not be conformed. 

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Don't be like the world to this 
world, but be transformed. 

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How? 
By the renewing of your mind, 

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the reading of the Scriptures 
that you may prove that would 

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prove in the in the Greek means 
test whether genuine or not. 

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What is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God. 

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He says live in God's will and 
show the world this is the right

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way to live because look what at
what God does in my life. 

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Look at how I can live in a 
fallen world. 

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Living in this world will affect
you, and it's just like our 

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breathing in polluted air. 
When we pray and believe, God 

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hears our prayer and answers our
prayer. 

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It is like us filling our lungs 
with the pure air direct from 

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heaven, and this in fact keeps 
us from fainting. 

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Pray God energises us. 
He strengthens us. 

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He breathes into us. 
We're not going to faint now. 

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He strengthens us, gives us the 
wisdom to know what to do. 

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He answers our prayer. 
That's why Jesus taught in the 

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same verse that we ought always 
to pray that word always means 

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at all times, ever, and not to 
faint. 

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Or what does Jesus mean by this?
Or Paul picked up the same 

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thing. 
He said that we should be 

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constantly in prayer. 
He said in One Thessalonians 

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517, we are to pray without 
ceasing. 

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Now people who look at that and 
it's just individually out of 

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context, I think, well, I can't 
do that. 

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I'm driving a car. 
I got to do a job, you know. 

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No, no, no, you're missing the 
point. 

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Because Paul says pray without 
ceasing, it does not mean that 

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we should constantly be 
repeating prayers. 

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00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,440
You remember Jesus taught 
against that very kind of 

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praying back in Matthew 6 when 
he gave us the Lord's Prayer. 

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00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:53,280
He says verse 7, when you pray, 
when you pray, that means you do

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pray. 
Not if you pray, but when you 

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pray. 
Do not use vain repetitions as 

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the heathen do, for they think 
that they will be heard for 

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their many words. 
So what it does mean is this. 

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It means to make our praying as 
natural as our regular 

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breathing. 
How does that you don't think 

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about breathing, but you 
breathe. 

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We just breathe. 
So too, this is how we should 

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all be about prayer without 
thinking about it. 

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00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:40,360
That means every moment you as 
you, maybe even as a scripture 

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00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,600
comes to you and you go, Lord, 
that's the scripture for me. 

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Help me to help me to get that. 
Help me to live that way. 

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That's me as you drive out in 
the car, Lord, guide me. 

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00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,040
It's just be talking to the 
Lord. 

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00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,480
You can do it at work. 
You can do it while you're doing

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your job. 
Praying should be the ongoing 

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atmosphere in which we live 
constantly. 

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00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:06,800
So that say you're in a work 
meeting, you're sitting there, 

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no one's coming yet you sit 
there. 

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Lord, just give me wisdom to 
know, help me to, to represent 

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you, even though it's not a it's
got nothing to do with the 

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church or the gospel or Christ. 
You're you're in a work meeting 

225
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about what we're going to do 
next week. 

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Pray. 
Praying is more than words from 

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your lips, as important as they 
are. 

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It is the desires of your heart,
US desiring to please God in 

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everything to honour him, to be 
thinking of him. 

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That's what praying is to be 
thanking him and to be seeking 

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him Today I I thank the Lord for
for a number of things. 

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You know, I get up, do Helen 
made me breakfast. 

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Lord, thank the Lord, she's a 
blessing. 

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I go in the room the bed's made.
I thank the Lord. 

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Praying. 
Praying is linking your life to 

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God and everything. 
It's walking with God. 

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Abraham did that, Enoch did 
that. 

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It means walking. 
And if you walk with someone, 

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how do you walk with someone? 
You walk behind them. 

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You walk in front of them. 
You walk with them in step. 

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It means you're in step with 
where God is going. 

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You're always aware of His 
presence. 

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Without living in this way that 
is praying, you will fail. 

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You will faint. 
Your work, your job, your 

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marriage, your kids, your life, 
everything will cause you to be 

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exhausted, to be spiritless. 
Oh, I just quit. 

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I just can't do this anymore to 
be wearied out. 

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Tonight I want to ask you, are 
you praying or are you more 

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fainting? 
This is a matter of choice in 

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00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,920
your life. 
The first point to bring you 

251
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back from the edge of giving up 
is to pray, and then you will 

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not fight. 
We see this persistent widow 

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back to our text. 
In contrast with God's elect, 

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God's children, there was a 
certain city, a judge who did 

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not fear God nor regard man. 
There was a persistent there was

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a widow, she came to him, she 
was persistent, asking for 

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justice. 
He said Though I don't fear God 

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nor regard man, I'm just this 
widow troubles me. 

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She annoys me our avenger. 
Let's do by continual coming. 

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She wears me then in verse 6. 
Then the Lord said hear what the

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00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,320
unjust judge said. 
That's the point of the story 

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and shall not God avenge his own
elect who cry out day and night 

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to him. 
There's a good point in there. 

264
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Vengeance is mine says the Lord.
When someone upsets you, it's 

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not your job to be the sheriff. 
You give them to the Lord. 

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Actually, you're to pray for 
those that are your enemies, 

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that despitefully use you, see. 
So you give them to the Lord. 

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Vengeance is mine, says the 
Lord. 

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Jesus did not say God's people. 
You and I are like this woman, 

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00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:38,360
this widow. 
I've heard sermons preach on 

271
00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:40,400
this. 
So say you got to get out there 

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00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:44,000
and you got to just keep going 
and persisting and acts like 

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00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,320
God's. 
Yeah, come on, more, more. 

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00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,880
That's not that's not a loving 
father. 

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That's the judge. 
We're the very opposite. 

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00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,240
This is in contrast. 
That's what this parable is 

277
00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,200
about. 
Because we are not like this 

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persistent widow, Jesus urges us
to pray. 

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Why? 
Because we have a loving father,

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not an unjust judge. 
Jesus argues from the lesser to 

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the greater. 
Jesus is saying if a poor widow 

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00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:24,400
got what she deserved from a 
selfish judge, And here's the 

283
00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,080
point. 
How much more will God's 

284
00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:33,880
children receive from what is 
right, what is needed from their

285
00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:37,200
heavenly loving Father? 
That's the point of the parable.

286
00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:43,080
Look at the contrast with me in 
relation to you and I and the 

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00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,760
woman's widow, the persistent 
widow. 

288
00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,720
In the story. 
The widow was a stranger to the 

289
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:52,120
unjust judge. 
He didn't know it from from 

290
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,880
Adam. 
But we are the children of God. 

291
00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:02,680
God knows us. 2 The widow had no
access to the judge, did she? 

292
00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:06,640
But God's children, what do you 
and I have? 

293
00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:12,480
Resurrection death on the cross 
vile, torn and two open. 

294
00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:21,760
Now we may come how boldly 
that's not arrogantly boldly 

295
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,760
because we know what the truth 
boldly into God's presence when 

296
00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:29,560
in Hebrews says when do we come 
in time of need. 

297
00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:32,680
You know I'm always in need. 
Aren't kids always in need? 

298
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:38,320
Hebrews 416. 
Let us therefore come boldly to 

299
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,120
the throne of grace, that we may
obtain. 

300
00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:44,040
What mercy? 
Find grace? 

301
00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:48,200
When to help? 
Oh, that's what I need in time 

302
00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:53,160
of need. 
Thirdly, this widow had no 

303
00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:58,440
friend in court to help get her 
case to the judge. 

304
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,800
She just annoyed the dialects 
out of him. 

305
00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:07,840
But God's children, you and I 
have Jesus Christ. 

306
00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:13,320
And what is He? 
He's our advocate, He's in the 

307
00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:18,640
presence of the Father. 
We pray in his name, We come in 

308
00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:25,320
his name. 1 John 21. 
My little children, these things

309
00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,400
are right to you, that you may 
not sin. 

310
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:34,000
And if anyone sins, we have an 
advocate with the Father, Jesus 

311
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:38,640
Christ the righteous. 
For when this widow came to 

312
00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,320
court, she came before a court 
of law. 

313
00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,640
It was a court of law. 
But you and I, as children of 

314
00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:49,440
God come before what? 
Not a court of law, a throne of 

315
00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:51,680
grace. 
What do you get at the throne of

316
00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:53,560
grace? 
You get what you don't deserve. 

317
00:22:55,480 --> 00:23:00,320
Lastly, she pleaded to the judge
out of her poverty she had 

318
00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:03,120
nothing. 
But you and I as children of God

319
00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:08,680
have all of God's riches 
available to us to meet our 

320
00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,520
every need. 
Philippians 419 And my God shall

321
00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:17,960
supply all your need according 
to his riches in glory our by 

322
00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:21,080
Christ Jesus. 
So Jesus is teaching us in this 

323
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,800
parable, urging us here tonight 
in His word. 

324
00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:28,200
If we fail to pray, if only 
people would grasp that our 

325
00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,520
condition spiritually will be 
just like that of the poor 

326
00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:35,160
widow. 
He urges us, therefore, to pray 

327
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:40,560
because of who we are, what we 
have, what He desires to do for 

328
00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:46,280
us as His children. 
The difference between the Judge

329
00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,720
and God our Heavenly Father is 
immense in this passage. 

330
00:23:52,360 --> 00:23:56,320
Hear what the unjust Judge said,
and God shall not avenge His own

331
00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,080
electric. 
Cry out day and night to him, 

332
00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:02,680
though he bears long with Him. 
The story is not about arguing 

333
00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,320
with God. 
That was in church. 

334
00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,600
As a woman, you know God. 
You know I'm a King's kid. 

335
00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:09,280
I demand. 
No, you don't. 

336
00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,480
I never demanded anything of my 
dad. 

337
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,000
Otherwise it was committing 
suicide. 

338
00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,640
I demand. 
Oh, OK. 

339
00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:24,880
You don't argue with God. 
Nor is it bribing. 

340
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,600
Oh, God. 
I've been to church three times.

341
00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,200
I'm reading the Bible, man. 
I'm giving. 

342
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:33,400
Well, my giving is really up. 
Look Lord look or pestering God 

343
00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,160
until he does something people 
think, oh I'm just going to 

344
00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:40,400
pester or pastor pester. 
That is not what this parable is

345
00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:46,080
about in order for almighty God 
to hear and answer your prayers.

346
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,160
It's not like the persistent 
widow. 

347
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:52,160
This is a story This is a 
parable about contrast. 

348
00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:58,000
God does not like the judge, for
our God is a a loving heavenly 

349
00:24:58,000 --> 00:24:59,240
Father. 
Do you know him? 

350
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,960
That's why people don't pray. 
You know why people don't pray? 

351
00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:04,160
They don't know that God is 
their heavenly Father. 

352
00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,400
They just know him as God. 
I think, well, he won't. 

353
00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:09,920
Why should I bother praying? 
Because he loves you. 

354
00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:12,400
You don't know him as your 
heavenly Father. 

355
00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:18,520
He hears every, every cry we 
utter, even though so deep and 

356
00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:22,360
so troubling that it's our very 
soul calling out, crying out 

357
00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:27,840
God, He hears them all. 
Romans 820-1825 But if we hope 

358
00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:31,040
for what we do not see, we 
eagerly wait for it with 

359
00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,040
perseverance. 
Likewise, the Spirit, that is, 

360
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:37,000
the Holy Spirit also helps us in
our weaknesses. 

361
00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:42,760
For we do not know what we 
should pray for as we ought, but

362
00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:48,960
the Spirit Himself, Holy Spirit,
makes intercession for us with 

363
00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,160
groanings which cannot be 
uttered. 

364
00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:56,400
Oh God. 
Exodus chapter 2, verse 23. 

365
00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:59,920
Now it happened in the process 
of time that the king of Egypt 

366
00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:02,920
died. 
The children of Israel groaned 

367
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:05,720
because of the bondage. 
No more Joseph. 

368
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:10,000
And they cried out, and they cry
came up to God because of their 

369
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:13,080
bondage. 
Exodus 3, verse 7. 

370
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:16,720
The Lord said, I have surely 
seen the oppression of my people

371
00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:21,840
who are in Egypt, and heard they
cry because of their 

372
00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:25,040
taskmasters, for I know their 
sorrows. 

373
00:26:25,840 --> 00:26:30,840
Exodus 2222 You shall not 
afflict any widow or fatherless 

374
00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:35,160
child. 
Exodus 2223 If you afflict them 

375
00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:40,120
in any way, and they cry at all 
to me, I will surely hear their 

376
00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:45,120
cry. 
Psalm 7212 For he will deliver 

377
00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:50,960
the needy, when when he cries, 
the poor also, and him who has 

378
00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:56,360
no helper. 
In the New Living Translation, 

379
00:26:56,360 --> 00:27:00,480
verse 7 says it this way. 
Even this judge rendered a just 

380
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,560
decision in the end. 
So don't you think God will 

381
00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:07,560
surely give justice to His 
chosen people who cry out to Him

382
00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,560
day and night? 
Will he keep putting them off? 

383
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,560
You see, God is our loving 
Father. 

384
00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:19,040
He hears every cry, every prayer
you make, the ones that fill 

385
00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,880
your heart. 
Even now, the only reason the 

386
00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,320
judge helped the widow was 
because he was afraid she would 

387
00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:28,040
weary him. 
Oh, she's a pest this far. 

388
00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:31,200
Our Father answers our prayers. 
Why? 

389
00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:36,400
Because He loves us and for His 
glory and for our blessing, he 

390
00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:40,800
wants to bless us and he is 
never weary to have his children

391
00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:43,280
go to him. 
Now all of us parents, we fail 

392
00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:46,440
sometimes when the kids are Dad,
dad, dad can have a look at 

393
00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:48,640
that. 
Mum, Mum and we're I'm too busy 

394
00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,200
at the moment. 
You've said that, you know, God 

395
00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,000
never says that he's never too 
busy. 

396
00:27:56,720 --> 00:28:00,640
He is never weary to have his 
children go to him. 

397
00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:03,640
Well, that's all good, Keith, 
but I've been praying for so 

398
00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,000
long and yet God seems to be 
delaying answering me. 

399
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,960
And I read here that he promises
to avenge them. 

400
00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:13,320
That's justice. 
Speedily per SE. 

401
00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:18,040
Well, listen carefully. 
God's delays are not delays of 

402
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:24,040
inactivity, but of preparation. 
God is always answering prayer. 

403
00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,080
Otherwise, the Scripture found 
in Romans 828. 

404
00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:30,920
And we know that all things work
together for good to those who 

405
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,520
love God, to those who are the 
called according to his purpose 

406
00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:39,720
is wrong. 
God works in all things at all 

407
00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:44,640
times, causing all things to 
work together to accomplish his 

408
00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:51,000
purpose back. 
You remember the story of an old

409
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:53,760
couple in Luke chapter one, 
verse 5. 

410
00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,440
The name's Zacharias and 
Elizabeth. 

411
00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:00,800
Elizabeth was barren. 
They were elderly. 

412
00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:05,120
Zechariah, he's a husband. 
They've tried for years and 

413
00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,920
years to have a child. 
Never been able to have a child.

414
00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,200
Zechariah goes to do his 
business as a Levite in the 

415
00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,000
temple and an Angel appeared to 
him. 

416
00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,080
Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for
your prayer is heard. 

417
00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:22,760
And your wife Elizabeth will 
bear you a son. 

418
00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,920
You shall call his name John. 
John the Baptist. 

419
00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:30,600
I want to ask you tonight, how 
long do you think Elizabeth and 

420
00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:36,160
Zechariah had prayed? 
Well, let's just guess she's 

421
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:41,320
1314 when they got married. 
He's maybe a little bit older 

422
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,600
now. 
They're elderly statesman. 

423
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:49,640
How long have they been praying?
But you see, God needed John the

424
00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:54,400
Baptist, God needed this couple 
who would raise him in the right

425
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:59,320
way and to to be born at the 
right time when Jesus was about 

426
00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,800
to come. 
That's why the prayer was 

427
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:04,800
delayed. 
Your prayers are delayed for a 

428
00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:06,680
purpose. 
God is in control. 

429
00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:11,880
The moment we pray according to 
to His will, God begins to work.

430
00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:18,920
We may not see it now, but in 
God's perfect timing, the answer

431
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,640
will come in Daniel 10. 
It was 12. 

432
00:30:22,920 --> 00:30:25,760
Daniel had prayed. 
Then the Angel appeared to him 

433
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:30,920
and he said, do not fear Daniel.
For from the first day that you 

434
00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:34,960
set your heart to understand and
to humble yourself before God, 

435
00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:42,400
your words were heard, and I 
have come because of your words.

436
00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,520
Winston Churchill was quoted to 
say never, never, never give up.

437
00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:55,160
Finally, notice with me we close
in verse 7. 

438
00:30:56,040 --> 00:31:00,320
God's elect are a people who cry
out of him day and night. 

439
00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:03,960
God's elect. 
I'm going to say it again. 

440
00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:12,200
Christians are a praying people.
You know, a few years back on a 

441
00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:15,360
Wednesday night, we had a couple
of three or four kids riding 

442
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,880
bikes out and we were just in 
here praying on a Wednesday 

443
00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,040
night like this. 
And so I went out to talk to 

444
00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:26,120
these kids. 
I said, oh, I got here going, Oh

445
00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:30,840
yeah, what's no, we're just 1314
riding their bikes around out in

446
00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,240
the front. 
And they said, what's what's 

447
00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:38,800
what's going on in there? 
I said, well, it's Chapel 9. 

448
00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:41,400
It's Wednesday, and Wednesday is
when we, the church gathers to 

449
00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:42,880
pray. 
Here's what this kid said. 

450
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:50,400
I'll never forget it, He said, 
How come then more people aren't

451
00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:55,720
praying? 
How come then more people aren't

452
00:31:55,720 --> 00:32:02,160
praying? 
When the Son of Man comes, Jesus

453
00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:04,680
said, shall he find faith on the
earth? 

454
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,440
You see, you pray because you 
have faith to believe that your 

455
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:11,720
Heavenly Father hears your 
prayer. 

456
00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,920
You pray because you have faith 
to believe that your Heavenly 

457
00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:21,040
Father will answer your prayer. 
You pray because you know you 

458
00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:25,760
believe undeniably that God will
answer your prayer and bring a 

459
00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:30,000
resolution, a help, a miracle 
into your very situation. 

460
00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:31,440
Otherwise, you'd fix it 
yourself. 

461
00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,080
That's why you pray. 
You believe God loves you and 

462
00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,960
wants the very best for you and 
for His glory. 

463
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,440
And that's why you pray tonight.
God is speaking to you directly 

464
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:47,680
and urging you to not give up, 
but to pray. 

465
00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:50,640
And if you haven't been praying 
to start to pray. 

466
00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,000
Speak to Him as you live and 
battle through your day. 

467
00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:59,440
Ask Him to lead you to guide 
you, to heal you, to protect 

468
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:01,520
you, to forgive you, to help 
you. 

469
00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:06,360
You are His child, He's your 
heavenly Father. 

470
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:11,080
From the moment your heart began
to beat and he instigated that, 

471
00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:14,480
he had an amazing plan for your 
life. 

472
00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:21,120
Psalm 139, an amazing journey, 
but it's a life lived by faith 

473
00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:25,600
and prayer is the heir for that 
fight.